Grant Platner weighs dropping out after former girlfriend alleges rape
"I remember specifically him, like, grabbing at my chest and I, like, hit his hand and I said, don't touch me. And I remember that during the altercation. Specifically, he kept going. Yeah, and it was this weird mix of like coming in and out of— I don't think consciousness is the word, but like coming to and kind of falling back into that drunken, I don't know what I'm doing state. Um, and yeah, and he just, he would apologize in those moments and then go back to doing what he was doing."
About this episode
Hosts Saagar Enjeti and Ryan Grim discuss the collapse of Grant Platner's Maine Senate campaign after a former girlfriend, Jenny Rassacourt, publicly accused him of rape in a CNN interview with Jake Tapper and a Politico story. Rassacourt alleges that approximately five years ago, Platner came to her home uninvited while heavily intoxicated, ignored her repeated refusals, and forced himself on her, with corroboration from a 2023 Facebook message predating his campaign in which she warned a friend he "doesn't listen to you when drunk." Platner released a video denying the allegations but announced he is weighing whether to continue his campaign due to political realities, with Democratic leaders including Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Ro Khanna withdrawing support and demanding he drop out. The hosts reveal that weeks earlier, after a previous damaging story, Elizabeth Warren directly asked Platner if other scandals existed and he assured her nothing else was coming, creating a sense of betrayal among volunteers and endorsers. Platner's volunteer Discord server shows grassroots supporters rapidly shifting to Troy Jackson, Maine state Senate president and former logger, as a potential replacement nominee. The Maine Democratic Party is considering a superdelegate convention to select a new candidate by late July, raising questions about democratic legitimacy versus practical necessity. The hosts also debate broader cultural questions about Me Too movement dynamics, the rush to judgment in political scandals, and the disconnect between Platner's redemption narrative and the timeline of the alleged assault. They note that while Washington figures express outrage, similar behavior often goes unpunished in elite circles, and emphasize the betrayal felt by working-class volunteers who campaigned in harsh conditions believing in Platner's authenticity.
Key takeaways
- Grant Platner's former girlfriend Jenny Rassacourt accused him of rape in CNN and Politico interviews, alleging he forced himself on her while intoxicated five years ago despite repeated refusals.
- Platner denied the allegations but announced he is weighing dropping out due to political impact, with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Ro Khanna withdrawing support.
- Elizabeth Warren directly asked Platner weeks earlier if other scandals existed and he categorically assured her nothing else was coming, intensifying the sense of betrayal among supporters.
- Corroboration includes a 2023 Facebook message where Rassacourt warned a friend Platner "doesn't listen to you when drunk," predating his political campaign by months.
- Platner's grassroots volunteers are rapidly coalescing around Troy Jackson, Maine state Senate president and former logger, as a replacement progressive candidate.
- The Maine Democratic Party may hold a superdelegate convention to select a nominee by late July, raising concerns about establishment control versus grassroots legitimacy.
- The hosts note Platner's pattern of poor judgment including admitted alcoholism, PTSD, inappropriate relationships, and controversial tattoos, with breadcrumbs visible in retrospect despite his redemption narrative.