Jessica Tarlov slams Graham Platner but says GOP 'doesn't get a moral victory lap'

The Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Maine, Graham Platner, has been embroiled in several scandals, with the latest being a sexual assault allegation from one of his former partners. While he has now seemingly suspended the campaign, prominent Republicans and Democrats alike continue to publicly condemn him. However, political strategist and news host Jessica Tarlov pointed out that Platner's fall should now be a moral victory for the Republicans, as their party is run by President Donald Trump and has people like Ken Paxton, both of whom have similar allegations on their records. 

Earlier this week, a fresh accusation from a former romantic partner of Platner surfaced after she told POLITICO that he had sexually assaulted her at her home in 2021 after arriving intoxicated and uninvited. While the Democrat categorically denied the allegation, it followed previous such allegations from other women who dated him. This led to politicians on both sides of the political aisle demanding that he suspend his campaign, with Republican Senator John Kennedy and Democratic Senator John Fetterman condemning his actions. 

Tarlov, a political strategist for the Democratic Party, also slammed Platner, saying that his campaign should have ended sooner, but she expressed that Republicans shouldn't be celebrating. "I want to underscore that Republicans don’t get to take a moral victory lap here. They’re still the party of Trump," she wrote in a post on X sharing a clip of her appearance on Fox News where she talked about the subject.

In the clip, she added that the average Democrat, including Bernie Sanders, was uncomfortable with Platner and his behavior, so it wasn't just the Republicans calling him out. "I will also say that one thing has not changed since we heard from Jenny Rastegat: Democrats will not be lectured by the party of Donald Trump and Ken Paxton," she said. Trump has a long list of allegations against him, while Paxton, the Republican Senate candidate from Texas, has also been accused of adultery, corruption, and, recently, videos of him vacationing with his mistress on the 4th of July weekend went viral on social media. 

Meanwhile, Platner announced a plan to suspend his campaign late Wednesday, claiming that "large forces" were seemingly working against him. The move came after a woman named Jenny Racicot detailed an alleged incident to POLITICO where Platner forced himself on her, intoxicated, despite her repeatedly telling him to stop. She said she cut off contact with him after telling him that the encounter wasn't consensual, and she didn't come forward before as she didn't want to be identified as a rape victim. 

With the looming withdrawal of Platner from Maine's Senate election, the race to replace him on the ballot has already begun. Platner is yet to formally withdraw, and he faces a deadline of July 13 to do so. According to the BBC, Maine's Democrats plan to hold a convention to find a contender to go up against Republican Senator Susan Collins in November's midterm elections, and they face a deadline of July 27 to name a replacement following Platner's formal withdrawal. The nomination is seen as pivotal for the Party in its bid to take control of the Senate after the elections.