Augusta, Maine – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders stood behind Maine Senate Graham Platner amid an ongoing sexting scandal which has damaged his odds of securing a seat in the midterm elections.
"Yes," Sanders emphatically declared when asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins whether he still stands by Platner after the recent revelations that he sent sexual messages to multiple women after marrying his wife, Amy Gertner, in 2023.
"I find it interesting that the Republicans have already purchased, as I understand it, $99 million in TV ads against this guy," Sanders said.
"Why do they want to beat Graham Platner? Because they understand that control over the Senate may in fact revolve around who wins in Maine, and they want to beat him in the worst possible way."
The sexting scandal has threatened to damage Platner, who has long held a commanding lead in the polls, and even saw his former Democratic primary opponent, Janet Mills, openly muse about reentering the race.
Prediction betting platform Kalshi currently shows that Platner's odds have dipped to 52%, with incumbent GOP Senator Susan Collins behind at 48%. This is a significant drop, as Platner, only days earlier, sat at around 70%.
"All I can say is look, I'm sure he's not a saint, and by the way, let's not forget, he has acknowledged this guy served four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan," Sanders told Kaitlan Collins.
"He went through some very bloody and horrible situations. He has acknowledged that he came back with PTSD."
"I think it's better for this country that we start focusing on the enormous crises facing working people, a corrupt political system, than spending so much time worrying about, you know, the personal life of an individual," Sanders said.