Rep. Ro Khanna defended his support for Graham Platner's Senate campaign on Sunday even as the Democrat faces mounting scrutiny over his personal conduct, striking a careful balance between acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations and urging voters to focus on his policy platform.
Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, the California congressman said Platner's actions toward women were "misogynistic" and "shameful," but argued they should not disqualify him from challenging Republican incumbent Susan Collins in Maine's November general election.
Platner, a former Marine turned oyster farmer, has been rocked by successive damaging reports in recent weeks. His ex-girlfriend told the New York Times that he regularly grabbed her by the shoulders hard enough to leave bruises, yanked her from a cab by the wrist, and on one occasion twisted her arm behind her back before shoving her into a bedroom and holding the door closed so she could not leave.
The candidate has also faced questions about sexually explicit messages he sent to women while married, and a Nazi-themed tattoo that has drawn additional criticism.
Despite these revelations, progressive Democrats have largely rallied behind Platner in his effort to unseat the moderate Republican. Khanna said he remained committed to supporting the candidate because Platner "took accountability" and is campaigning on priorities like universal health insurance, billionaire taxes, and opposing military intervention in Iran.
"People in Maine knew that he had had two tours of duty in Iraq. He came back broken in a dark place," Khanna said. "That doesn't excuse his behavior, but they knew this."
The congressman said he believed the account provided by Platner's former girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, and urged the candidate's campaign to stop attacking her publicly. "I believe her, and I don't think our side should be attacking her," he stated.
Fifield, however, has disputed coverage of her allegations, claiming on social media that a news outlet "methodically delayed and twisted" her account and questioning why promised evidence was not published. She also pushed back on the campaign's assertion that she is "a lifelong GOP operative," noting her support for Democratic candidates and her family's liberal leanings.
Platner acknowledged responsibility for a dark period in his life marked by undiagnosed PTSD and alcohol abuse, saying he was "a far from perfect boyfriend." He denied allegations involving physical violence and claimed ignorance about his tattoo's meaning. Campaign representatives have characterized Fifield as a Republican operative seeking to damage his candidacy.
The primary contest has effectively become a referendum on Platner rather than on Collins, raising fresh questions about Democratic vetting processes following former congressman Eric Swalwell's withdrawal from California's gubernatorial race after sexual abuse allegations surfaced against him.
Khanna said Maine voters he encountered expressed discomfort with the revelations but were willing to "extend him grace and redemption" if they believed he had changed. He added a caveat, however: if evidence emerges of actual domestic violence or assault, "I have zero tolerance for that."
Author James Rodriguez: "Supporting a flawed candidate with a track record of harm while demanding he be judged on his platform alone is a tough sell, and voters in Maine appear to be struggling with it too."
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