The embattled Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, accused of rape, has a history of making insensitive comments about victims of sexual assault. In a 2013 Reddit post, the nominee criticized people who claim to be raped, saying they should take responsibility for their actions.
According to the post, the nominee wrote, "Holy f---, how about people just take some responsibility for themselves and not get so f---ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don't mean to?" He also suggested that women who consume too much alcohol are making a choice to lose control and should act like adults to avoid compromising situations.
The nominee's comments have sparked outrage, particularly given recent allegations against him. His former girlfriend accused him of raping her in 2021, saying he broke into her home while intoxicated and forced her to have sex despite her objections. The nominee has denied the allegation, but another former girlfriend corroborated the claim that he abused alcohol and engaged in emotional abuse and intimidation.
The nominee has resisted calls to drop out of the Senate race, despite several high-profile Democrats rescinding their endorsements. However, he must withdraw by July 13 for Democrats to select a replacement candidate. If he stays in the race, another Reddit post where he criticized Republicans for supporting candidates accused of sexual assault could come back to haunt him.
The nominee's campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by a news outlet on Wednesday. The allegations against him have raised concerns about his fitness for office and the potential impact on women in his office.
