Tuesday on CNN’s “The Arena,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) refused to denounce Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner’s Nazi tattoo.
Host Kasie Hunt said, “So speaking of politics there today Graham Platner, the likely nominee for Senate in Maine, was meeting with Democrats after additional revelations. There have been some in your caucus, including, Cory Booker and, John Fetterman, notably, who’ve criticized Platner and raised questions about whether he’s the right nominee in that race. Do you think, considering everything on the line control of the Senate, that could come down to that race in Maine, is he the right person for Democrats to put forward?”
Kaine said, “Here’s here’s my thought about this. I almost never get involved in primaries outside of Virginia because I think Maine Democrats should pick their candidates.”
Hunt said, “But are you comfortable having a potential colleague with a Nazi tattoo that he knew was a Nazi tattoo in 2019, took him years afterward to get rid of it?”
Kaine said, “I’m just going to answer the same way I just answered you. Anything I say is going to be played somewhere in Maine. Maine voters need to make this call. Once they do make the call. I’m sure I’m going to have some things to say. But as far as next Tuesday goes, that’s the primary day. There’s three names on the ballot. Maine Democrats will decide.”
Hunt said, “I mean for a symbol like this is that not irrelevant when an election is timed as to whether or not that’s okay?”
Kaine said, “Look, this is all very relevant stuff, but it’s relevant to the voters who are voting. And I don’t have a vote in Maine. And again, I don’t like it when national Dems go into primaries in other states and try to big foot primary voters and tell them who they should support.”
He added, “The don’t need a Virginian telling them what to do.”
Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN
Read the full article here