Since this race became a national flashpoint weeks ago, the scandals around Graham Platner have only compounded — and yet the Democratic establishment keeps circling the wagons.

What the Latest Allegations Actually Say

The New York Times published a report detailing accounts from multiple ex-girlfriends who described Platner's behavior as 'unsettling.' According to Yahoo News, those accounts include allegations of rape fantasies, heavy drinking, and violent episodes. One woman, Lyndsey Fifield, told CBS's Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Platner kept an AR-15 in his Capitol Hill apartment and told her that if anyone broke in, he'd rape them 'to show he's dominant.'

Fifield said he never hit or punched her. She did describe being grabbed by the shoulder and having her arm pulled as she refused to exit a car. Those are her words — on the record, not anonymous.

Platner has admitted he was not a 'good boyfriend' but denies physical violence, according to Yahoo News.

Khanna's Tightrope Act

Rep. Ro Khanna of California went on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday, June 7, and called the behavior 'misogynistic' and 'shameful.' He said he believes Fifield, told the Platner campaign to stop attacking her, told them to stop attacking the New York Times reporters who wrote the story — and then defended his continued support for the man.

His reasoning, per the Breitbart transcript of the interview: 'We broke a lot of people' by sending them to Iraq. Platner did three tours.

Khanna also argued, per MEAWW, that Maine voters already knew about Platner's troubled chapters and are choosing to extend grace because Platner is focused on 'stopping these wars, getting national health insurance, and taking on economic inequality.'

Khanna traveled to Bar Harbor, Maine on Friday, June 6 to campaign for Platner in person, according to Yahoo News.

The 'Believe All Women' Problem

Brennan asked Khanna directly: 'Years ago, the mantra was believe all women. Do you believe her?' Khanna said yes — and then immediately pivoted to why Platner should still be the nominee.

A Democrat congressman on a mainstream Sunday show contradicted the ideological framework his own party spent years enforcing with zero exceptions. If the situations were reversed and a Republican Senate candidate had this record, the coverage would be a Category 5. The asymmetry is stark.

The Full Baggage List

For anyone just tuning in, the Platner file is extensive. According to Yahoo News, the controversies include:

• Inflammatory comments made on Reddit
• A tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, which was 'well-publicized and covered up'
• The new New York Times allegations about past relationships involving rape fantasies, heavy drinking, and violent episodes

Platner is described as a Marine combat veteran and oyster farmer. He is considered the presumptive Democratic nominee ahead of Tuesday's primary.

What Collins Said

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who Platner is trying to unseat, returned to Maine on Friday after casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote, per Yahoo News. When asked about the Platner allegations, Collins said she was concerned and believed he had 'questions to answer.' That's a measured response.

Collins is considered 'highly vulnerable this cycle,' per MEAWW, which is why national Democrats have invested so heavily in this race despite the mounting red flags around their candidate.

What the Media Is Getting Wrong

Most mainstream coverage is framing this as a redemption narrative — combat veteran, PTSD, dark period, taking accountability. That framing isn't invented. Khanna himself is using it. But several things are being glossed over.

First, the Daily Mail noted that Platner's behavior 'didn't come as a surprise to a lot of the folks in Maine' — a fellow Democrat's words, not a Republican attack. That means party insiders knew and moved forward anyway.

Second, the Platner campaign attacked Fifield as a 'GOP operative.' Khanna publicly told them to stop — on national television. That kind of internal fracture is being underreported.

Third, veterans groups have pushed back on the PTSD explanation. As Brennan raised on air, some have said it's being used as an excuse in a way that maligns veterans broadly. Khanna acknowledged it's 'not an excuse' — but the campaign has leaned on it heavily.

What This Means

Tuesday's primary will tell us how much Democratic voters in Maine actually care about any of this. Khanna and Bernie Sanders are betting voters care more about Medicare for All and stopping wars than about a candidate's documented history of misogynistic behavior.

Maybe they're right. Maybe Maine Democrats look at Susan Collins and decide Platner's baggage is worth it.

If a Republican Senate candidate had a Nazi tattoo, documented rape fantasy statements, and multiple ex-girlfriends on record describing volatile behavior — and the GOP establishment flew in to campaign for him anyway — it would be treated as proof of a party in moral collapse.

The standard should be the same. Every time.