Since the Nazi tattoo controversy surfaced earlier in this race, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's personal history has unraveled in ways that would have ended almost any other political campaign.

What's Come Out Since

According to the New York Times, Platner sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women while married to his wife, Amy — whom he married in 2023. Not years ago. Recently.

The Wall Street Journal reported a Kik account featuring a shirtless photo of a man in a towel that matches Platner's tattoos. Kik has been labeled a "predator's paradise" by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation over child safety concerns. There is NO evidence Platner communicated with minors — but the platform itself is a serious red flag for a Senate candidate.

And then there's Reddit. According to AMAC, Platner's Reddit history includes comments where he:

• Mocked a Purple Heart recipient
• Called Army soldiers "fat, lazy trash"
• Referred to himself as a "communist"
• Said rural Americans are "stupid and racist"
• Complained about a "Thai prostitute loophole" closing
• Blamed women victims of sexual assault

Platner's explanation: PTSD from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan between roughly 2005 and 2016. Except the sexting with other women happened AFTER his 2023 wedding. That's a current behavior problem, not a PTSD dark chapter.

The Emergency Meeting

On June 2 — one week before the June 9 primary — Platner traveled to Washington for a crisis meeting at DSCC headquarters. According to the Daily Signal and the Guardian, the meeting stretched over 90 minutes.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the DSCC chair, emerged and said: "I'm very optimistic we're going to win Maine." She did not say she was optimistic about Platner specifically.

Protestors outside chanted "P-Hustle's got to go!" and "Delete your Kik!" Some showed up shirtless with white towels around their waists — mocking the Kik profile photo. That is not a good visual for a Senate campaign.

Platner himself walked out, ignored every reporter's question, and got into a waiting car.

Schumer and Sanders Hold the Line — For Now

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on Tuesday: "I met with Graham Platner today. We're going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate."

Bernie Sanders, speaking to the Associated Press, refused to withdraw his endorsement. "Of course" he still backs Platner. His reasoning focused on healthcare and grocery costs — using kitchen-table economics to sidestep questions about his candidate's sexting.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) appeared on CNN and did the same thing — told host Kate Bolduan that Collins "rubber stamps Trump's agenda" and pivoted hard to the Iran war and gas prices. Moulton admitted he doesn't know what else might come out about Platner, but that wasn't enough to pull support.

The Democratic calculation is clear: Platner is embarrassing, but Collins is the only Republican Senate incumbent up for re-election in a state Kamala Harris won. They need this seat. So they're rolling with him.

What Mainstream Coverage Is Getting Wrong

Left-leaning media has largely framed this as a question of whether Platner can survive the controversy — focusing on Democratic strategy, not the substance of the allegations.

Right-leaning outlets like the Daily Wire and Daily Signal are hammering the scandals, but some of their coverage is thinner on sourcing than the initial New York Times and Wall Street Journal investigations that broke the actual news.

The timeline problem deserves clearer attention. The PTSD defense only covers so much ground. The Reddit posts might be explainable. The Nazi tattoo might be ignorance. But sending explicit texts to women outside his marriage while he has a wife he married in 2023 is a behavior problem in the present tense. Voters deserve to know that distinction.

Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her own campaign in April after Platner dominated the polls, is still on the June 9 ballot. She has repeatedly reminded voters of that fact since Platner's scandals deepened. That's a live option for Maine Democrats who want to flip Collins' seat without endorsing Platner's conduct.

The Senate Map Math

Democrats need to net four seats to retake the Senate, and Maine is the single clearest pickup opportunity on the map. If Platner wins the June 9 primary and the scandals continue — Kate Bolduan raised the right question on CNN: what if there's more? — Democrats could lose their best shot at a Senate majority on a candidate who couldn't keep his personal life in order for three years into a marriage.

Schumer knows it. Gillibrand knows it. They're betting Maine voters care more about Collins' Trump voting record than Platner's Kik account.

The June 9 primary is five days away.