UMVA has learned that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has reaffirmed his support for embattled Senate candidate Graham Platner, despite a slew of controversies surrounding the Democrat's campaign.
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks over a series of scandals, including criticism over a tattoo with links to Nazi imagery and resurfaced Reddit posts where he made inflammatory comments about veterans, as well as sexually explicit messages exchanged with other women during his marriage.
When pressed by journalists in the Capitol on Tuesday about his support for Platner, Schumer dodged questions and instead declared, "I met with Graham Platner today, we're going to beat [Sen.] Susan Collins and take back the Senate."
The New York senator was repeatedly asked whether he still supports Platner in the face of the scandals, considering his endorsement came before all the controversy. Schumer refused to directly address the questions, reiterating instead, "We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate."
As reporters continued to press Schumer for a clear answer, he attempted to steer the conversation towards other topics, asking, "Any other subjects you got?" But the line of questioning persisted, with Schumer eventually responding, "As I said, I endorsed Graham Platner."
Schumer's unwavering support for Platner raises questions about the party's credibility in criticizing Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who has faced similar scandals. Platner's campaign has been marred by controversy, including his use of a "Totenkopf" Nazi SS tattoo, which he later covered up with a different tattoo.
Further investigation has revealed that Platner also used a since-deleted Reddit account, where he made vulgar posts under the moniker "P-hustle," joking about masturbating in public portable toilets, among other crude comments. He also called himself a communist, denigrated rural White people as "racist" and "stupid," and singled out Black people for not tipping.
Adding to the controversy, it was recently uncovered that Platner has an active account on Kik, an anonymous chatting platform notorious for lax identification methods. The profile, which contains a sexually suggestive picture of Platner, has raised concerns about his judgment and character.
