Ro Khanna defends support of Graham Platner despite 'shameful' actions

WASHINGTON, DC: Representative Ro Khanna defended his support for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on CBS’s 'Face the Nation' on Sunday, June 7, after new allegations surfaced about Platner's past treatment of women. 

Although Khanna called Platner's past actions “misogynistic” and “shameful,” he said Maine voters want to give him "grace" because he took responsibility and is focused on key issues like ending wars, providing national health insurance, and fighting economic inequality.

Khanna explains reasons for supporting Graham Platner

Khanna explained that Platner's past was a dark period in his life rather than a reason to disqualify him from the race.

“Here you have a case,” Khanna told host Margaret Brennan, “of someone who had a dark chapter in his life, was in toxic relationships, was ashamed about it, who served this country, and the Maine voters are saying, ‘Look, let’s give him some grace, and his focus is stopping these wars, and it’s getting national health insurance, and it’s taking on economic inequality.’”

Khanna even went to Maine on Friday to campaign for Platner in Bar Harbor. This support comes at a crucial time because Platner is expected to win Tuesday's Democratic primary, which would set up a tough election battle against Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is considered highly vulnerable this cycle.

Khanna condemns Platner's actions but notes he took responsibility

The controversy grew after the 'New York Times' published an article titled, “Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior.” Platner has admitted that he was not a “good boyfriend,” but he denies ever using physical violence.

Khanna condemned the behavior but said voters in Maine already knew about Platner's troubled past.

“I want to be clear: His actions were misogynistic, they were shameful, they were wrong, but they didn’t come as a surprise to a lot of the folks in Maine,” Khanna said. 

He added that Platner served two tours in Iraq and came back broken, explaining, “That doesn’t excuse his behavior, but they knew this. He was in Washington, and then he went back to Maine, and he started an oyster farm. He took accountability. He himself has said it was shameful.”

Khanna draws the line on physical abuse and violence

Khanna, who previously worked to get the Epstein files released, made it clear that his support has strict limits.

He stated that he would walk away if there was proof of physical or emotional abuse.

“If there was evidence of violence. I would not support him,” Khanna said. “If there was evidence of physical assault, I’d have zero support for him. He acknowledges that he was misogynistic. It was shameful. One thing I want to make very clear: we should not be attacking the women who came forward. We should not be attacking the journalists.”

The main accuser in the 'New York Times story,' Lyndsey Fifield, said that Platner “never hit me, he never punched me.”

However, she said he once grabbed her wrist and another time twisted her arm behind her back. News outlets have noted that they could not independently verify these specific claims.