SouthernWorldwide.com – Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has distanced himself from fellow Democrats by refusing to defend Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, amidst a growing number of scandals surrounding the latter.
Platner has rapidly become a prominent figure in the Democratic party, gaining national attention for his populist message and outsider appeal as he attempts to win a seat currently held by a Republican.
However, his ascent has been marred by increased scrutiny of his past actions. These include explicit online messages, offensive social media posts, a controversy involving a tattoo linked to Nazism, and internal strife within his campaign.
Despite these issues, Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has defended himself against the criticisms. He continues to receive support from notable Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Senator John Fetterman, however, has explicitly stated his lack of support for Platner.
Fetterman specifically pointed to Platner’s prolonged activity on Kik, a messaging application that has previously faced scrutiny due to its anonymous features and safety concerns. He also referenced explicit photos that Platner allegedly shared online.
“I mean he was dropping dick pics for a decade and he was on Kik for a decade, and you have that picture of him in the towel that he posted up there,” Fetterman stated.
Fetterman further questioned whether Platner had implemented adequate safety measures while using Kik. He argued that the candidate has not yet fully addressed concerns regarding his online activities on the messaging app.
“What was your safeguards to make sure that you weren’t interacting with underage people? Everyone was adults. So he refuses to answer those questions and if that’s the kind of people that Maine wants to vote for that’s entirely up to them, but ‘P Hustle’ has a lot of serious questions and concerns about his judgment, but also his ethics too,” Fetterman elaborated.
When questioned about allegations from former partners, Fetterman suggested that the controversies surrounding Platner have become so numerous that they are difficult to enumerate.
“You know, candidates have baggage. In his case, he is baggage that incidentally might be a candidate,” he remarked.
The Democratic senator indicated that Platner’s accumulating controversies leave him with little ground to stand on in his defense.
“I’ll be the one Democrat to refuse to defend that mess,” Fetterman concluded.
