Sen. John Fetterman is once again breaking with his party, this time taking aim at embattled Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner as Democrats largely avoid publicly distancing themselves from the controversy-plagued hopeful.
Speaking to reporters, the Pennsylvania Democrat compared the party’s willingness to tolerate Platner’s conduct to its past support for former Congressman Eric Swalwell.
“I’m saying that the last time Democrats leaned in on a guy that was sending, you know, [these] kinds of messages to women, I think that was like Swalwell, you know,” Fetterman said. “I don’t know, that’s not someone I’m never gonna carry water for.”
The comments mark one of the sharpest rebukes yet from a sitting Democratic senator as Platner’s campaign continues to be dogged by controversy.
Platner first came under scrutiny after reports surfaced showing a tattoo resembling Nazi iconography on his chest. Since then, additional controversies have emerged, including resurfaced Reddit posts under the username “P-Hustle,” reports of explicit messages allegedly sent to women while he was married, and revelations that he maintained an account on the messaging platform Kik.
Despite the growing pileup of headlines, many Democrats have stopped short of publicly abandoning Platner as the party pursues a critical pickup opportunity in Maine against Republican incumbent Susan Collins. Platner is also scheduled to meet with Democratic lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday, underscoring the party’s continued engagement with his campaign.
Fetterman, however, showed little patience for the candidate’s mounting baggage.
When asked whether Platner should step aside and allow Maine Gov. Janet Mills to re-enter the race, Fetterman declined to directly call for his withdrawal but made clear where he stood.
“I think you shouldn’t send, you know, sexually explicit texts or d— pics or whatever he sends to all these women on Kik,” Fetterman said.
The senator then rattled off a series of additional allegations tied to Platner’s past online activity.
“I mean, you know, like it’s, it’s truly bizarre. I mean, what’s next?” Fetterman said. “Here is a guy that describes an American soldier, a Purple Heart [recipient], a dumb motherf—– that doesn’t deserve to live.”
Fetterman also accused Platner of smearing late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and celebrating violence against Israeli soldiers.
The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested the volume of controversies has become difficult to track.
“I dig it, like the thing he has going for him, he’s done so much bizarre and tacky and gross stuff that you lose count,” Fetterman said. “It’s like you need to have like a bingo card.”
🚨 WOW! Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) just WENT HARD against Maine Senate Democrat candidate Graham Platner, even comparing him to Eric Swalwell
“I think you shouldn't send s*xually explicit texts or d*ck pics, or whatever he sends to all these women on Kik. That was like less than… pic.twitter.com/4EYhVzteww
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 2, 2026
