Topline
President Donald Trump ripped Democrats over their new nominee for Senate in Maine, Graham Platner—who has been compared to Trump for his anti-establishment messaging and ability to overcome scandals—calling him a “thug” on Wednesday after Platner won his primary Tuesday despite a series of allegations about troubling behavior towards women.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at his Primary Election event on June 9, 2026 in Blue Hill, Maine. (Photo by CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump said Democrats are “trying to make excuses” for Platner, calling him “worse than any human being that has ever run for office, probably” and an “outright pig.”
Trump accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who endorsed Platner, of going “crazy over this or that or Epstein,” asking “why aren’t they talking about him?”
Platner won 75% of the vote when the race was called Tuesday.
He ran virtually uncontested after Gov. Janet Mills stopped campaigning in April, though she remained on the ballot and won 19% of votes.
What To Watch For
The seat held by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is one of three rated toss-ups by Cook Political report in this year’s midterms. Democrats need to flip four seats to regain control of the Senate, which is in Republicans’ control.
Key Background
Democrats rallied around Platner, a political newcomer and former U.S. military veteran, after he entered the race in August and quickly overcame Mills in polls. A series of revelations about Platner’s controversial past have dogged his campaign. Shortly after launching his candidacy, deleted online posts in which he disparaged police, victims of sexual assault and rural voters, and endorsed political violence were unearthed. Platner attributed the comments to his mental state after returning from military service in Afghanistan in 2011. More recently, it was revealed that Platner sent sexually explicit messages to as many as a dozen women early in his marriage. His wife, Amy Gertner, who he married in 2023, flagged the messages to his campaign because she thought they might be a liability, the campaign’s former political director, Genevieve McDonald, told The New York Times. Gertner said their marriage is strong and stood by her husband in the wake of the reports about the messages. Last week, several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends described him as volatile and toxic in a report published by The New York Times. One of the women, Lyndsey Fifield, who has worked for conservative groups and Republicans, said he was physically aggressive toward her at times while drinking. She also said Platner knew that the now-covered tattoo on his chest resembled a Nazi symbol, though he has said he wasn’t aware of its meaning when he got the tattoo in 2007. Platner has acknowledged some of the poor behavior, attributing it to “a pretty dark period” after returning from combat, but denied Fifield’s allegations of physical altercations and knowing about his tattoo.
further reading
Graham Platner Wins Primary As Controversy Over Troubled Behavior Swirls (Forbes)