President Donald Trump told reporters that the firestorm engulfing Maine oysterman Graham Platner is “really a question of whether you believe the woman” who accused him of sexual assault.
The remark, made to reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday, was among the president’s first public comments on the Democratic Senate nominee since POLITICO’s report this week that a woman who Platner dated said he forced her to have sex with him five years ago — which he has denied.
Platner has lost significant support across the Democratic Party since the article published. He is expected to speak Wednesday as his campaign publicly battles with the Maine Democratic Party over next steps, should he drop out of the race against GOP Sen. Susan Collins.
My colleague, Megan Messerly, who is traveling with the president en route back to the United States from the NATO Summit, asked Trump whether Democrats should be able to pick a replacement for Platner, who won the Democratic primary last month. The president appeared skeptical and invoked the story of another woman, Lyndsey Fifield, who alleged Platner mistreated her and faced attacks because of her ties to the Republican Party. Fifield did not accuse Platner of sexual assault.
Here’s the full exchange the president had with reporters on Air Force One.
Do you think that the Democrats should be able to pick a replacement for Graham Platner? He’s had all of these new allegations that have come out. Now Democrats are talking about picking a replacement for him. Should they be able to do that?
Trump: They’re picking what?
A replacement for Graham Platner if he steps out of the race.
Trump: Well, so he won the primary, right?
And now there are these new allegations.
Trump: It’s very hard for them to do. It’s really a question of whether you believe the woman. A lot of people say big falsehoods. It’s a — he’s in a bind. He’s in a bind. But should they be able to do it? Well, I guess he’s going to lose. I would imagine he’s going to lose.
It’s very interesting when a Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed her. When this woman came out, everybody believed her.
