After the brand new sexual assault allegations in opposition to Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski confirmed some skepticism in regards to the allegations and constantly requested for “proof” in a reasonably combative interview with Politico reporter Adam Wren, whose outlet printed the claims. Brzezinski additionally confirmed concern over Platner’s “due course of” as he confronted the allegations.
Platner had appeared on Morning Joe many occasions throughout his marketing campaign, together with a love-fest interview in Could the place Joe Scarborough continuously smiled at Platner. Throughout an interview from June, Scarborough requested Platner about his “so-called scandals.”
As a substitute of direct questions on the small print of the story, Brzezinski targeted her questioning of Wren with skepticism over particulars within the story.
On Tuesday’s Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski appeared considerably skeptical of the sexual assault claims in opposition to Graham Platner and combatively questioned Politico reporter Adam Wren for “corroborating items of proof” in opposition to Platner. pic.twitter.com/YPbwxP5isR
— Nick (@nspin310) July 7, 2026
In her opening query, she requested, “There’s not a police report, appropriate? Appropriate me if I am mistaken. There’s not a authorized case enjoying out right here for due course of to see itself by. So, my query to you, given the very excessive requirements Politico has earlier than they write one thing like this and publish it, what elements of this story introduced it to the extent of publishable?”
Wren admitted there was no police report however famous proof of message exchanges between the accuser and her therapist about Platner and mentioned: “We discovered finally the variety of corroborating items of proof to assist her story in a approach that we might report it.”
Brzezinski pushed Wren additional and targeted on “consent,” and requested if there have been “Any conversations with Graham Platner on the time of it the place she mentioned, as a result of apparently, as a part of this story, she says she even confirmed to him that this was not consent. Do you may have that? What do you may have that really connects this actually, Graham Platner, to raping this sufferer?”
Wren mentioned there have been DMs, as Brzezinski injected and requested in the event that they had been “capable of see these DMs,” as Wren defined she tried to get well them however couldn’t. She continued: “Did you truly bodily see them? Did she produce them for you?”
To notice, the Politico report alleged Platner entered accuser Jenny Racicot’s residence, “uninvited one evening in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and compelled himself on her whereas she repeatedly informed him to cease. “
To shut Morning Joe’s interview with Politico’s Adam Wren, Brzezinski questioned the “determination to publish” the Platner allegations and continued to query the story’s proof together with its timing:
“What ties this collectively and provides you the proof to convey this story to… pic.twitter.com/6HerDWh7HI
— Nick (@nspin310) July 7, 2026
On the shut of the interview with Wren, Brzezinski continued her skeptical questioning and requested what made Politico determine to publish the story:
What’s the precise – is there proof between her and him, proof of a criminal offense? As a result of he is being accused of rape. So, what put this over the sting?
(…)
What is the by line? What ties this collectively and provides you the proof to convey this story to the purpose of publishable?
Wren continued his protection and mentioned, partly, “Politico stands by our reporting (…).”
Persevering with her skepticism, Mika Brzezinski requested NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen for her ideas on Platner and requested if she was “in any respect involved in regards to the timing of this accusation by way of simply equity in politics and due course of?” pic.twitter.com/aUhMCMdNKo
— Nick (@nspin310) July 7, 2026
In a later interview with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brzezinski additionally confirmed concern over “an accusation made within the media, not within the courtroom of legislation” and Platner’s “due course of”:
And are you in any respect involved in regards to the timing of this accusation by way of simply equity in politics and due course of?
Brzezinski had a historical past of defending Democratic politicians with combative remarks amid liberal media stories throughout controversies, as she defended then-President Biden after his disastrous debate in 2024 in a Biden call-in interview on Morning Joe within the aftermath.
Clearly, in conditions of Democratic controversies, she performs full protection, even with such horrible claims as these in opposition to Platner.
With Joe Scarborough’s absence from Tuesday’s present, viewers should wait to see his response to the information, particularly after he in contrast himself to Platner just below two months in the past.
The transcript is beneath. Click on “broaden”:
MS NOW’s Morning Joe
July 7, 2026
6:09:19 AM Jap
(…)
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Adam, I wish to get proper to the questions on this. The questions surrounding this on either side of this debate. There’s not a police report, appropriate? Appropriate me if I am mistaken. And there is not a authorized case enjoying out right here for due course of to see itself by. So my query to you, given the very excessive requirements Politico has earlier than they write one thing like this and publish it, what elements of this story introduced it to the extent of publishable?
ADAM WREN: Yeah, you are appropriate right here, Mika. There isn’t any police report on this case. We spent a whole lot of time speaking to Jenny, , asking her for corroborating proof. She shared that she had confided into quite a few individuals, together with her therapist, and nearly actual time. And we reviewed electronic mail exchanges between she and her therapist, referring to what she known as the sexual assault and her therapist kind of acknowledging that that is this had occurred to her.
We talked to individuals who she confided in within the months after this occurred. We requested her why she did not file a police report. And he or she described kind of the insular nature of the place she lives and her nook of Maine that she shares with Graham Platner. And he or she, , debated kind of learn how to deal with this. And we discovered finally the variety of corroborating items of proof to assist her story in a approach that we might report it.
BRZEZINSKI: So, what are a few of these corroborating items of proof? So you have obtained conversations along with her therapist and individuals who she confided in. Any conversations with Graham Platner on the time of it the place she mentioned, as a result of apparently, as a part of this story, she says she even confirmed to him that this was not consent. Do you may have that? What do you may have that really connects this actually, Graham Platner, to raping this sufferer?
WREN: Yeah. She reached out to him the day after by way of Instagram and basically, , informed him that, , she did not wish to hear from once more. She informed him that morning as effectively. And, , we checked out messages that she had despatched to others within the months after this occurred by social media-
BRZEZINSKI: However you had been capable of see these DMs?
WREN: She tried to get well these DMs. We didn’t – we weren’t capable of evaluate these DMs, however she described them to us. We additionally, lengthy earlier than he was a public – earlier than he was a politician, we noticed her basically clarify to others that he was, quote, in her phrases, “consensually careless,” finish quote. And –
BRZEZINSKI: Proper, however do you – had been you capable of see the interactions between Graham Platner and this alleged sufferer? Did you truly bodily see them? Did she produce them for you?
WREN: She tried to uncover them. She – however was unable to.
BRZEZINSKI: Willie?
WILLIE GEIST: So, let’s discuss slightly bit, Adam, about a few of the timing of this. Some individuals have identified it is a week out from the date the Democrats now should scramble and probably discover a new candidate. If Platner does certainly drop out, as he is anticipated to. We’ll discuss extra about his assist within the Democratic Occasion nationally on the state stage has collapsed after these revelations. She was, Jenny, in that New York Occasions piece. She appeared within the piece just a few weeks in the past. So what’s your sense of why she determined she needed to enter extra element with you at this level?
WREN: Yeah, Willie, she was annoyed with how that article landed. She informed us she was annoyed with one other lady that she is aware of who was quoted in that piece, how she how her story was obtained. She felt there was a whole lot of destructive polarization round that, that anecdote that she was written off simply because she was a Republican. And, , she needed Maine voters to have kind of the total story right here. And, , she kind of relayed all of this to us.
(…)
6:16:43 AM Jap
BRZEZINSKI: So, Adam, in closing, clearly this can be a enormous political bombshell story, a narrative which may, most likely will result in the tip of Graham Platner’s marketing campaign. And I am simply – I am going again to the choice to publish, and I am curious what concrete proof. You might have conversations with therapists, conversations with mates. However what took this story past Graham Platner saying this was consensual, Jenny Racicot saying this was not consensual?
What took it over the sting and had you and your editors determine to publish, in fact, type of an earthquake in Democratic politics? What was the piece of proof or items of proof that made you positive of this story?
WREN: Yeah. I imply, lengthy earlier than he was a politician, lengthy earlier than a lot of the nation knew his title, Jenny, in her telling, had confided in quite a few individuals. We noticed screenshots that she shared of messages relaying this account to others. We seen an electronic mail response from her therapist to her acknowledging that they’d talked about –
BRZEZINSKI: These are the issues I mentioned, however these aren’t – What’s the precise – is there proof between her and him, proof of a criminal offense? As a result of he is being accused of rape. So, what put this over the sting.
WREN: Yeah, I imply –
BRZEZINSKI: As a result of he says he did not and he has individuals on his facet who say he did not. She says he did. And there are individuals, however none – There’s – I am making an attempt – What is the by line? What ties this collectively and provides you the proof to convey this story to the purpose of publishable?
WREN: Yeah. You understand, we interviewed her, , three separate occasions. Her story stayed constant throughout these occasions. You understand, we talked to individuals who she had spoken with contemporaneously about these assaults, and all of these tales lined up and checked out. And finally, , Politico stands by our reporting and we talked to, , individuals who corroborated her story, largely.
(…)
6:20:39 AM Jap
BRZEZINSKI: Willie, that is – Clearly, Graham Platner has been actually dogged with totally different tales alongside the way in which, and there are a whole lot of analysts who at the moment are saying, “Why did it take so lengthy?” On the identical time, that is an unimaginable second in time to return ahead, and a few are questioning that as effectively.
The tim-ing.
(…)
7:13:21 AM Jap
BRZEZINSKI:. However I wish to ask you to weigh in on this newest information that broke up to now 24 hours, senator, and that is the accusation of rape made in opposition to Senate candidate Graham Platner.
To be clear, an accusation made within the media, not within the courtroom of legislation. What’s your tackle what ought to occur? Ought to he step down attributable to this accusation?
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): Nicely, good morning. And sure, I believe he ought to step down. It is time, and the earlier the higher.
BRZEZINSKI: Have you ever been moved by this newest accusation, or all alongside, have you ever been involved about this candidate?
SEN. SHAHEEN: There are a selection of points which have surfaced with respect to Mr. Platner, and I believe taken collectively, it implies that the Democrats must search for one other candidate.
BRZEZINSKI: And are you in any respect involved in regards to the timing of this accusation by way of simply equity in politics and due course of? And do you’re feeling that an accusation ought to take down a candidate, or is there an even bigger image that you just’re speaking about right here, Senator?
SEN. SHAHEEN: Nicely, once more, I believe if you happen to take the problems broadly, it is extra than simply this one accusation, though actually it sounds very critical. So, once more, I believe for the nice of the seat, for the nice of the Democratic Occasion, Mr. Platner ought to get out of the race.
(…)
