Fetterman scoffs at Platner: ‘He’s not even a Democrat’

Sarah DavisSat, June 13, 2026 at 2:17 PM UTC

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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) rebuked the Democratic nominee in the Maine Senate race on Friday, saying scandal-plagued Graham Platner is "not even a Democrat."

"We're the party of pearl clutching, and now we've embraced him because we don't have a choice," Fetterman told Fox News's Laura Ingraham in an interview Friday.

"Like if you can't really defend him, you could at least say, well, he has a 'D' after his name, but he's not even a Democrat," he continued. "He actually described himself as a communist."

Platner emerged victorious from Maine's Democratic primary on Tuesday, following a series of controversies about his past behavior. He is now set to face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November.

The Army veteran turned oyster farmer recently acknowledged allegations that he sent sexual messages to women who were not his wife early in their marriage, and several former girlfriends told The New York Times that he displayed "toxic" and "unsettling" behavior during their relationships.

Platner has denied any allegations of physical intimidation or altercations. He told MS NOW last week that "those serious allegations are just not true."

The candidate has also faced pushback over since-deleted Reddit posts, in which he downplayed the issue of sexual assault in the military, called himself a "communist" and labeled police as "bastards." Additionally, he covered up a chest tattoo after he said that "reporters and D.C. insiders" informed him that it resembled a Nazi symbol.

Platner has cited his past struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following his military deployments.

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In his victory speech after clinching the Democratic Party's nomination earlier this week, the progressive candidate referenced these damaging reports.

"Now, the national pundits, the political establishment, they keep looking for that one story, that one headline, that one moment in my life that they can define the campaign by," he told a crowd of his supporters in Maine. "But in trying so hard to understand me, they failed to understand that this is not about me at all. This is a movement about us."

Fetterman dismissed Platner's efforts to address his past behavior on the campaign trail.

"This isn't redemption; this is a guy who's been caught," he said Friday.

When asked by Ingraham whether he would campaign for Collins instead, Fetterman said, "Of course not."

"I am a Democrat," he responded. "Senator Collins, we have different views."

The Pennsylvania Democrat, who has often broken with his party on various issues, has previously dismissed questions about a potential party switch.

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