Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman delivered a blistering assessment of exiting Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner during a Thursday evening call-in interview on FOX News, calling him a “predator” and declaring that “the trash took itself out.”
Platner officially dropped out of the race against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins on Thursday while continuing to deny a recent accusation of rape. Fetterman did not hold back on the broadcast, framing Platner’s exit not as a voluntary decision, but as a forced removal driven by the gravity of the allegations.
“I’d say the trash took itself out,” Fetterman said. “He leaves as an accused rapist.”
The Pennsylvania senator dismissed Platner’s future prospects and public standing, noting that the exit clears the way for a cleaner political contest in Maine.
“He can go back online, he can go around doing all the kinds of things, but yeah, the trash took itself out tonight,” Fetterman continued. “And now finally, people in Maine have a chance to really vote on someone that’s not a total piece of trash.”
Fetterman specifically targeted the tone and length of the final speech Platner delivered to announce his resignation, calling it entirely inappropriate given the circumstances.
“He gave that weird long speech, it’s like, no one wants you anymore,” Fetterman said. “I’m like, bro, you are an accused rapist, you know, no one wants your endorsement, no one cares what you think. You are going, you know, straight back into oblivion, and now that’s the reality: to give that weird long speech and pretend like people will miss you, no one’s gonna forget you other than [as] the guy that was pushed out of the election because a woman credibly accused you of raping her.”
According to Fetterman, the situation marks a definitive, permanent end to Platner’s political viability.
“So that’s his legacy,” Fetterman said. “That weird long speech, that’s his legacy, he will be remembered as an accused rapist that was forced, he acted like he had a choice, like he’s always been a dead man walking, so it’s a good day.”
Fetterman concluded his remarks with a direct personal rebuke, referencing other alleged behavioral and relationship issues.
“P. Hustle, bro, you will only be remembered as the accused rapist that got pushed out of your election,” Fetterman said. “That’s your legacy, bro, and you are a guy that cheats on your wife, you’re the guy that roughs up your ex-girlfriend, you know, that’s your legacy, bro. So go back under the rock that you came from.”
Previously, Fetterman directed sharp criticism at Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for his early backing of Platner’s bid, demanding an apology for voters and donors.
“What Democrats, like, saw in that trash bag — what did they see in that guy?” Fetterman asked host Charlie Hurt, asserting that Sanders “pushed” Platner to run “more than anyone.”
“He keeps pushing these Communists and these kinda awful anti-American people, so there’s plenty of those people that have to humble themselves, you know, humble yourself and stop pushing, you know, these kinds of people on people in my party,” Fetterman said.
The public call-out highlights a shift in dynamics, as Sanders previously endorsed and campaigned for Fetterman during his successful 2018 Pennsylvania lieutenant governor campaign and his 2022 U.S. Senate run.
The political fallout in Maine developed rapidly after former girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield accused Platner of physical abuse. While prominent Democrats like Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) initially stood by him, support completely evaporated following a POLITICO report detailing a 2021 sexual assault accusation from another ex-girlfriend, Jenny Racicot. RELATED: New York Times Facing ‘Gaslighting’ And Cover-Up Claims From Platner Accuser
Platner has denied Racicot’s allegations as “troubling, serious, and false,” but the ensuing pressure from party leadership made his candidacy untenable. On Tuesday, Sanders released a statement withdrawing his support, noting, “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
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