Tipsheet

This Is What AOC Has to Say About Graham Platner's Abuse Allegations

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  June 09, 2026 3:00 PM

Democratic Representative and self-described democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is doubling down on Graham Platner as a viable candidate for Senate in Maine, despite a bombshell report last week in which several women accused him of domestic abuse, along with disturbing allegations of violent sexual fantasies and a tendency toward aggression.

She said that although the allegations were "hard to stomach," he remains a "choice."

"When it comes to the substance of this reporting, obviously, there's a lot in that behavior that's really challenging," she said. "It's hard to stomach, you know, in some of it. But, but, at the end of the day, I think that this is a choice."

In other words, her analysis is a mirror image of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’. As long as Platner has pledged to fight for the working class, a priority for the socialist, she views him as a viable choice, with character mattering far less than what he intends to do with the power he would have if elected to the Senate.

Several Democrats have continued to back Platner, including Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), with no indication they plan to withdraw their support or endorsements.

Many have raised questions about where Democrats might ultimately draw a red line on Platner’s behavior, though it appears there may not be one.