President Donald Trump expressed skepticism about the ability of congressional Democrats to replace former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner after he suspended his campaign due to rape allegations.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One before returning to the United States from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump stated that Democrats would face challenges in replacing Platner, saying "It's very hard for them to do. It's really a question of whether or not you believe the woman. A lot of people say big falsehoods. He's in a bind, he's in a bind."
The calls for Platner's exit came after a report detailing rape allegations against him was published, following another story describing physical abuse allegations against him. Platner's ex-girlfriend alleged that he forced his way into her home and sexually assaulted her in 2021.
Trump also questioned why allegations from a Republican woman were not met with the same level of outrage as those from the woman who came forward with the rape allegations. He wondered aloud "It's very interesting when the Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed her... when this woman came out everybody believed her, right?"
Platner has denied the allegations and maintained that his suspension was not an admission of guilt. He has not officially dropped out of the race, but under Maine state law, he would have to do so by July 13 to allow the Democratic Party to put a new candidate on the ballot in his stead.
Platner's suspension has left a vacancy in the Democratic primary, and Democrats are now scrambling to find a replacement candidate. The Democratic Party will have to decide whether to field a new candidate in Platner's place or to continue with their current slate.
The controversy surrounding Platner has raised questions about how Democrats will handle the situation and whether they will be able to regain momentum in the primary.
