Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has tripled down on his support for Graham Platner despite previously saying that allegations of domestic abuse would be a red line for him.
On Tuesday, Khanna traveled to Maine to campaign alongside Platner on the day of his primary, which the Senate hopeful won overwhelmingly with nearly 75 percent of the vote. In a video released by Khanna, he gave Platner an opportunity to explain his past controversies and defended his support for the candidate, citing Platner's opposition to the war in Iran and other foreign interventions as key reasons for backing his campaign.
I am supporting @grahamformaine today because of his passion for opposing war.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) June 9, 2026
An honest conversation about the human toll and his journey. pic.twitter.com/n6VypfqT7F
"I am supporting @grahamformaine today because of his passion for opposing war," Rep. Khanna wrote on X. "An honest conversation about the human toll and his journey."
"If the Democratic Party is going to exist, it needs to become the anti-war party," Platner said. "I think a lot of people in this country would like to see more regular people in politics. And most people in this country have gone through some form of transformation throughout their lives. They've not been living perfect lives."
Khanna then gave Platner an opportunity to explain away a series of controversies that have dogged his campaign over the past several months, including allegations of domestic abuse, lewd acts in a porta-potty, reports that he sexted hundreds of women early in his marriage, and what Platner has described as struggles with aggression and anger following his deployment to the Middle East.
"If you believe in transformational politics, you need to believe in the ability for people to transform. And I came out of the infantry at a time where, like, you sucked it up," Platner said.
"I had, frankly, witnessed the most awful things a person could witness and see. And it was all done in the service of seemingly nothing."
Platner and Khanna went on to slam the Trump administration for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas and for engaging in warfare with Iran.
This comes as Rep. Khanna previously said that “assault, domestic violence, rape, or inappropriate relations with a minor” would be a red line for his support of Graham Platner. Despite a reported New York Times investigation detailing several such allegations, Khanna has continued to back the Maine Senate candidate.
It remains unclear whether that stance will be politically sustainable through November, though some analysts suggest it could become untenable if further controversies emerge. Platner has also reportedly told Senate Democrats in a recent meeting that no credible allegations of serious wrongdoing are expected to surface going forward. That promise has already proven to be a lie.
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