On Tuesday, former New York Gov Andrew Cuomo (D) criticized Democrats for continuing to support Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner despite a string of controversies.
In an episode of The Pulse of the People, Cuomo said Democrat leaders had repeatedly overlooked Platner’s controversies because he represented the party’s progressive wing.
“To run this fellow Platner, who has so many problems that the far left just excuses. Well, Nazi tattoo? ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Well, he’s anti-cop? ‘Excuse that.’ Well, women have made accusations? ‘We’ll excuse that,’” Cuomo said. “They just excuse everything and have this absolutist mentality. If you call the person a Democrat, or if the person calls themselves a Democrat, then they are a Democrat and they must be supported by Democrats.”
Cuomo argued that Democrats prioritized ideological alignment over nominating the strongest candidate to challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
“He’s not the best candidate to beat Susan Collins, but they didn’t care. They didn’t care. He was a far-lefty fringe who would carry their banner, and that was more important to them than actually beating Susan Collins,” Cuomo added.
Platner has been hit with another controversy after archived posts from his former Reddit account resurfaced, revealing graphic sexual comments, political statements, and remarks about military veterans. Although much of his online activity was later removed, internet archives preserved the posts, which have since been reviewed by multiple news outlets.
One of the most controversial posts came from a 2014 Reddit thread asking users to share the “most f*cked up, jaw-dropping, offensive joke” they knew. Posting under the username “P-Hustle,” Platner responded with a joke referencing incest, bestiality, and necrophilia. Other archived posts included sexually explicit comments, while a separate 2013 post blamed people for becoming intoxicated enough to “lose your self control” in a discussion about sexual assault.
Despite the growing list of controversies, Platner won the Maine Democrat Senate primary earlier this month and will face incumbent Collins in the November general election.
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