Maine voters are voicing their opinions on the controversies surrounding Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. Allegations of abuse from ex-girlfriends and a contentious tattoo have sparked debates. As Platner faces incumbent Senator Susan Collins in the primary, views are divided.
Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams reports on the conflicting perspectives among Mainers. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has endorsed Platner, adding to the discussion. On Friday, Bill Maher of HBO’s “Real Time” supported Platner despite acknowledging some “scary” past actions.
“I would still urge the folks in Maine to vote for him, for two reasons,” Maher commented. “One, we need to restore balance in our government, and a Democratic Senate would help a lot with that.” He further added, “And two, get used to it. America is filled with a lot of broken, horribly educated, phone-addicted, sort of nutty people. And as long as we live in a representative democracy, we are always electing our reflection in the mirror.”
Maher addressed Platner’s controversial backstory, which includes past comments and behaviors perceived as troubling. Among these, a past girlfriend alleged that Platner spoke of responding to a home invasion by demonstrating dominance.
Platner also received backlash for having a tattoo that resembles the Nazi “Totenkopf” symbol. Maher jokingly suggested Platner might benefit more from a gap year in Costa Rica than a Senate term.
Despite these controversies, Maher advocated for Platner’s election as a means to potentially reclaim the Senate for the Democrats. Meanwhile, Platner has recently secured the Democratic nomination to challenge Senator Collins.
On a related note, Maher made a comparison between Platner and President Donald Trump’s communication style. He criticized the president for speaking unfiltered internal monologues.
Fox News Digital contacted Platner for a comment, but there was no immediate response.