On the face of it, Republican President Donald Trump and disgraced Democratic Senate candidate Platner have no reason to support each other ... except one. They've both been accused of rape.
And that made for a strange confluence of support from Trump to Platner, before the Dem recused himself from the race.
Platner suspended his campaign after facing rape allegations from multiple women, including his ex-girlfriend and a Republican digital strategist.
Trump commented on the situation, and while many expected him to pile on against the candidate many have called a dirt bag -- and worse. He went another way.
“It’s really a question of whether or not you believe the woman. A lot of people say big falsehoods,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
“He’s in a bind,” he added, before jokingly asking reporters if they had any pictures of Platner's accuser.
Platner denied the rape accusations in an 11-minute video, stating that the claims were false and had put a significant burden on him. But following the controversy, Platner dropped out of the race, with lawmakers like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren withdrawing their endorsements.
My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026
The controversy left many wondering how far the Democrats were willing to go to support a controversial man because they believed he could win. Platner had a tattoo of a Nazi symbol that he got while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, had reportedly sexted with other women while married, and had a history of controversial comments on social media.
However, he still claimed innocence against the rape allegations.
Trump on Platner Allegations: It’s really a question of whether or not you believe the woman. A lot of people say big falsehoods. pic.twitter.com/LEqfFoMWOu
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 9, 2026
“We are suspending campaign operations. This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it's an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not. We're not doing it because of the allegations. We're doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power,” Platner said.
Under Maine law, the Democratic Party must replace Platner on the ballot by the last Monday in July, which is July 27.
"Graham Platner has been an embarrassment to Maine. He has been an embarrassment to real working class Mainers and to veterans." said Jim Deyermond, Maine Republican Party Chairman, "Maine Democrats have supported him through sexting scandals, through the racism, sexism, and homophobia, and even after learning about the Nazi tattoo. The Democrats who supported him for as long as they could (without going down with him) care more about power than advocating for candidates with character and integrity."
