Episode summary
Megyn Kelly examines the implosion of Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign in Maine following rape allegations from a former partner, Jenny Razincott. The 41-year-old Maine resident told CNN that Platner forced himself on her after she told him not to come over and repeatedly said no, though she avoided using the word rape until pressed by anchor Jake Tapper. Platner, a leftist populist insurgent who had been running competitively against Republican incumbent Susan Collins in one of Democrats' top pickup opportunities, has denied all allegations but released a statement indicating he is contemplating his political future. Nearly all prominent Democrats who had endorsed him have now called for him to drop out, with the notable exception of Bernie Sanders. The deadline for Democrats to replace Platner on the ballot is July 13th. Kelly is joined by Tom Bevan of Real Clear Politics and Mark Halperin of Next Up to analyze the political fallout. The scandal also represents a serious credibility crisis for the New York Times, which had access to Razincott for its initial exposé on Platner but either failed to obtain or chose not to publish her rape allegation. Conservative activist Lindseay Field, who appeared in the original Times piece detailing her own allegations of physical abuse by Platner, is now accusing the newspaper of running a cover-up operation rather than exposing the full truth. The controversy raises questions about media bias and whether establishment outlets protected a progressive candidate. If Platner drops out, Democrats may end up with a weaker replacement candidate who lacks his populist appeal, potentially splitting the party and making the critical Senate seat even harder to win.
