Friday’s CBS Mornings was the primary main broadcast community flagship newscast to say the allegations laid out by ex-girlfriends of Maine Democrat senatorial candidate Graham Platner with nothing on ABC or NBC, and all three networks skipping it Thursday evening. By Friday evening, nevertheless, ABC’s World Information Tonight coated the disturbing claims and the CBS Night Information led off with them.
This left NBC’s newscasts Right now and Nightly Information as nonetheless masking up any point out of this new collection of claims that would derail their aspect’s makes an attempt to take Congress in November.
In fact, none of them may convey up the truth that The New York Instances – which revealed the long-rumored piece – engaged in a catch-and-kill operation towards Lyndsey Fifield, the ex-girlfriend with probably the most graphic allegations the paper truly ran (whereas others she was made conscious of by Instances journalists had been disregarded).
“Turning now to the carefully watched Senate race that would resolve management of the Senate. Rising questions on important Democratic candidate Graham Platner after experiences of a number of girls coming ahead with disturbing allegations. Platner now responding,” stated Saturday anchor Whit Johnson, filling in for David Muir.
Senior White Home correspondent Selina Wang instructed ABC viewers for the primary time that “oyster farmer” Platner has been “battling a firestorm of controversy” and he’s been making an attempt to mount a marketing campaign to defeat Republican Susan Collins, however his “previous” has been “coming again to hang-out him.”
Notably, the “oyster farmer” half in of itself is, at finest, half-true.
Over 24 hours after The New York Instances story on Graham Platner got here out, ABC Information lastly coated it on one in all their main newscasts, Friday’s ‘World Information Tonight.’@SelinaWangTV stated “oyster farmer” Platner has been “battling a firestorm of controversy” as his “previous [is] now… pic.twitter.com/c46sPumNOe
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 6, 2026
Listening to after which studying it, you get the sense ABC feels dangerous for him!
Wang continued: “First, a collection of sexist Reddit posts now deleted. Then, experiences he exchanged sexual textual content messages with a minimum of six girls shortly after he was married in 2023. Platner’s spouse Amy standing by him.”
After she falsely claimed The Instances story got here out “in a single day” (when it dropped Thursday round 4:00 p.m. Jap), she all-too-briefly summarized what The Instances selected to publish about Fifield plus Platner’s denials (click on “broaden”):
WANG: In a single day, The New York Instances reporting a number of of Platner’s ex-girlfriends describe “unsettling habits.” One claiming Platner usually grabbed her by the shoulders, typically onerous sufficient to depart marks. And, on one event, yanked her out of a cab by her wrist. She stated throughout one argument, Platner “twisted her arm behind her again, shoved her right into a bed room and held the door closed from the opposite aspect so she couldn’t get out.”
SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): The allegations within the newest story are troubling and I imagine that Graham Platner has a whole lot of inquiries to reply.
WANG: Platner fiercely denies any violence however admits to errors in his previous, talking with ABC affiliate WMTW.
GRAHAM PLATNER: I’m very completely happy to speak about extremely uncomfortable issues in my life, however when issues come alongside which might be simply made up or lies, I’m very a lot going to push again towards these.
It was right here she introduced up the Nazi tattoo, which she downplayed by saying it was simply “a tattoo resembling a Nazi image” and that “Platner insists he solely just lately grew to become conscious of the Nazi connection.” Wang ignored one portion of Fifield’s story The Instances did run, which was her texts with him and recollections of him overtly admitting he knew its origins.
The pity occasion got here again, however this time, it was for her fellow liberals (click on “broaden”):
WANG: All of it places nationwide Democrats in fairly a bind, successful Maine is essential of their effort to retake the Senate. Senator Bernie Sanders standing by Platner.
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) [on CNN, 06/02/26]: I’m positive he’s not a saint. And by the best way, let’s not neglect he has acknowledged – this man served 4 excursions of obligation in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has acknowledged that he got here again with PTSD.
WANG: However Senator Elissa Slantkin, exasperated.
SENATOR ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI) [on MS NOW, 06/05/26]: I look ahead to the day the place I’m not answering each single week a query about dangerous habits by one other dude. I – I simply – I’m wanting ahead to that day.
Over on the CBS Night Information, anchor Tony Dokoupil provided a framing of occasions primarily based on Platner’s phrases: “Graham Platner, for those who don’t know, is an oyster farmer and the centerpiece of the Democrats’ plans to retake the U.S. Senate. He’s additionally a modified man, he says, stuffed with remorse about his previous. The difficulty is that previous retains arising.”
There’s that sympathy play, once more!
Friday’s ‘CBS Evneing Information’ led off with Maine Democrat Graham Platner with @CHueyBurns returning after having the primary community newscast story on Friday’s ‘CBS Mornings’
Right here was how Tony Dokoupil set all of it up: “Graham Platner, for those who don’t know, is an oyster farmer and the… pic.twitter.com/LQsu9ZLDIt
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 6, 2026
However as a result of Dokoupil and CBS have coated it each instances Friday in addition to his pivot under, one may a minimum of grant partial credit score for taking this story significantly:
This week, The New York Instances reported that three girls who had been romantically concerned with Platner described the connection as poisonous and detailed habits they discovered unsettling and at instances emotionally wrenching. And whereas Platner has denied something bodily, that follows one other report about textual content messages the ladies not his spouse appeared, and nonetheless earlier, revelations about medicine, consuming, and tattoo getting. That’s all wanted explaining.
Congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns was again on the case and rehashed parts of her story from the AM, all the way down to her characterization of the Nazi tattoo as “widely known as a Nazi image.” Right here, although, she famous “Fifield instructed The New York Instances he did know” what it was.
Similar to her tales final week about his sexting scandal, an up to date model got here with sound from just a few Maine voters. In each circumstances right here, they implied they’d proceed to help him.
On Democratic Celebration response, she stated he’s “going through criticism inside his personal occasion” like from Senator John Fetterman (PA) whereas “different high-profile senators like Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer are standing by Platner.”
Full disclosure: I’ve been pleasant with Fifield for a few years. Whereas I wouldn’t say we’re buddies or talk usually, I can state unequivocally she has been a girl of excessive character.
To see the related transcripts from June 5, click on right here (for ABC) and right here (for CBS).
