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Author Stephen King deleted a post on social media defending Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner (D), who is facing widespread backlash after his former girlfriend accused him of rape.
King, a Maine resident, weighed in on a report from Politico published Monday that revealed the accusation from Jenny Racicot, Platner’s former girlfriend, who alleged Platner sexually assaulted her five years ago.
King wrote in a post on social media platform X, which was later deleted: “Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” appearing to compare the allegations against Platner against accusations previously made against President Trump.
He followed up with another post.
“Tell you what–if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone,’” he wrote.
Platner quickly denied the allegation in a video but added he would take time to reflect on his campaign and consider next steps. Prominent Democrats soon after urged him to end his Senate bid.
The posts garnered swift criticism online, with commentators bashing King for appearing to minimize the severity of the allegations against Platner.
Among the critics was columnist Jonah Goldberg, who wrote: “So because we don’t know about hypothetical rapey legislators we should forgive the ones we do know about.”
King attempted to clarify his position on Tuesday following the backlash.
“Not defending Grah, Platner. If he committed rape, he should bow out. Just making a comparison,” he wrote, following up with a tweet that corrected “Graham.”
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also walked back her online criticism of Platner’s accuser, deleting a post saying she should not turn “consensual sex” with Platner “into rape for politics with conflicting stories.”
Politico reported that Racicot met Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019, and the two had been in an on-and-off relationship since.
Racicot told the outlet that in 2021, Platner drunkenly entered her home uninvited and sexually assaulted her. She said she did not come forward initially out of fear of retaliation. She also wanted a Democrat to win against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November.
Politico corroborated her story with several people in whom she initially confided, including a former boyfriend and her therapist.
The allegation has rocked Platner’s campaign, which had already been riddled with a series of other scandals, including a recent extramarital sexting situation.
After easily winning the Democratic primary, the populist oyster farmer was set to head to the general to face off against Collins. But in light of the recent bombshell revelations, Platner has lost critical support from most of his party, with both state and national Democrats calling for Platner to drop out of the race.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Donald Trump Jonah Goldberg Marjorie Taylor Greene Stephen King Susan CollinsCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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