How Long Can Graham Platner Make Demands?

The scandals involving Graham Platner, still the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, continue. Nevertheless, Platner looks to be making demands.

On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Platner should “step aside.” Platner has until next Monday to decide. Otherwise, his name remains on the ballot.

Despite declining support from his once top supporter, there are signs that Platner won’t go quietly, if at all.

According to Tuesday reporting from the New York Post, Platner and his campaign strategist Morris Katz “are deliberating about the Maine Democrat dropping out, but only if his replacement shares his left-wing values.”

The outlet reported that Katz, who helped elect New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, “had been recommending Platner stay in the race.”

Strategist Rebecca Katz called the New York Post article “false.”

Platner’s campaign could be navigating an exit, according to CNN.

Tony Kinnett, host of “The Tony Kinnett Cast,” argued on Tuesday’s podcast that Platner “knows he has to step down and it’s done, but he’s blackmailing the party.”

Kinnett referenced Platner’s alleged victims, including Jenny Racicot, who spoke to Politico and claimed that Platner broke into her home and raped her.

Lyndsey Fifield, who spoke to The New York Times alleging abuse from Platner, also recently spoke to The Washington Post about her claims that Platner refused to wear a condom during sex or took it off during sex.

Audio footage from Townhall draws a connection between Platner and Dan Osborne, an independent running against Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts in Nebraska. Kinnett said the association “really branches out into the broader party,” as it appears Osborne had a role in vetting Platner.

Kinnett noted that commentator Molly Jong-Fast is claiming she’s “baffled” by the vetting process for Platner, adding “this was all out in the open at the beginning.”

Hosts on ABC News’ “The View” are still defending Platner, showing video footage of the Democrat addressing and denying allegations, and with Joy Behar choosing to complain about the “Epstein Protection Party.”

Such comments signaled an obsession with President Donald Trump that Kinnett addressed with the Maine race.

“They keep bringing this up because they don’t want to come to the conclusion that independent voters already have: Donald Trump’s not on the ballot in the midterms,” Kinnett said. He added that Platner is running against “the most milquetoast mediocre woman in the Senate in history,” referring to Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Co-host Sunny Hostin also made clear she’d vote for Platner if she lived in Maine, claiming, “we are in a time of existential crisis in this country.”

On Tuesday night, Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a video statement addressing Platner’s demands.

“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like,” Murphy-Anderson said about picking a replacement nominee. “We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.”

“We have also reiterated that Graham Platner must drop out of this race so that Democrats in Maine can focus on defeating Susan Collins this November. We look forward to making this process public, as soon as Graham Platner formally withdraws from this race,” Murphy-Anderson concluded.