Democrats learned a valuable lesson on Monday. If a guy has a Nazi tattoo on his chest; spent years posting racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and anti-military garbage all over the internet; describes himself as a communist; has a documented porta-potty fetish; and stands credibly accused of domestic violence, you probably shouldn't bet a must-win Senate seat on him.
Most people figure this out without needing the lesson.
Democrats needed the lesson.
Graham Platner's campaign for the U.S. Senate is all but over. He either drops out or stays in the race and loses badly in November. My money says he takes the exit ramp before the deadline passes that allows Democrats to replace him on the ballot. Either way, the damage is done, and it goes well beyond one candidate. The whole Democrat Party owns this fiasco.
The collapse came fast. Soon after Politico reported on the sexual assault allegations against Platner, left-wing influencers started bailing on him, and he started losing endorsements.
I won’t go through all of them, but I do want to highlight Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who just found his conscience.
Enough is enough. graham platner needs to step aside.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 6, 2026
But, just a few weeks ago, Booker admitted Platner has a lot of issues but insisted, "dear God, we need to get the Senate back."
CORY BOOKER: Graham Platner has a lot of issues but "dear God we need to get the Senate back."pic.twitter.com/zuOGlXJoaI
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 6, 2026
What changed? The allegations against Platner were already a mile long. The only thing that changed is the math. When the New York Times story came out last month detailing domestic abuse allegations against him, Platner was leading in the polls by five, seven, even nine points in some polls. His lead then shrank to within the margin of error, and he’s even losing in some polls.
ICYMI: Here’s What Graham Platner Doesn’t Want You to Know About His Accuser
That brings us to the most shameless part of this whole saga. A growing contingent of voices on the left wants to spin Platner's implosion as proof that Democrats hold the moral high ground. Seriously? These are the same people who defended him or stayed silent through the Nazi tattoo, the despicable online posts, and the accusations of domestic abuse. Platner even had a record fundraising day after the New York Times published its expose last month. Democrat donors saw everything and opened their wallets anyway.
The party didn't just tolerate Platner. It rationalized him. Last month, Adam Mockler, a commentator for the MeidasTouch Network, appeared on CNN’s NewsNight and argued that backing Platner wasn’t a moral failure at all, but merely a strategic necessity. That was the actual case being made on national television, and Democrats nodded along because Platner still looked like a winner.
Let's be honest here. If Platner drops out, morality will have nothing to do with it. Democrats didn’t do the right thing, and can police their own ranks. They were perfectly willing to run with Platner… when it looked like he was winning. Democrats have simply realized they can't win with him anymore. They knew he was a scumbag for months and twisted themselves into pretzels to justify supporting him. The polls turned, the donors got nervous, and suddenly everyone discovered their “principles.”
And when you point this out, Democrats will bring up Trump and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as they always do. The difference is that neither man has ever been credibly accused. The accusations against Kavanaugh fell apart under the slightest scrutiny, and Democrats know it. And you can ask George Stephanopoulos whether Trump was ever found "liable for rape.”
So, let’s be honest about the real reason Democrats are bailing on Platner. I’ll give you a hint: it’s the same reason they threw Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) under the bus.
There's no moral awakening happening on the left; it’s just a political calculation. That’s all. Democrats spent months propping up a deplorable man they knew was rotten. Why? Because they thought he could deliver a Senate seat, and they dumped him the moment he couldn't. It was a choice. They could have backed Gov. Janet Mills, but chose not to. They wanted the scuzzy Nazi instead, and not even domestic violence was enough to give them pause.
So, when Democrats start lecturing us that getting rid of Platner is proof of the Democrat Party’s moral high ground, remember, it was nothing of the sort.
