{"id":2607349,"date":"2026-05-27T11:22:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/knives-are-out-for-democrat-critical-of-graham-platner-guy-benson\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T11:25:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:25:21","slug":"knives-are-out-for-democrat-critical-of-graham-platner-guy-benson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/knives-are-out-for-democrat-critical-of-graham-platner-guy-benson\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Knives are out\u2019 for Democrat critical of Graham Platner: Guy Benson"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fknives-are-out-for-democrat-critical-of-graham-platner-guy-benson%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2607349&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Washington Examiner columnist Guy Benson criticized Democrats for attacking Rep. jake Auchincloss, a Democrat from Massachusetts, after Auchincloss questioned Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner over Platner\u2019s Nazi-related tattoo and related commentary. Benson said Democrats are \u201ceating him alive on the Left,\u201d arguing the party\u2019s \u201ccountry over party\u201d message is only applied to Republicans, not to Democratic figures.<\/p>\n<p>The dispute follows CNN\u2019s Monday interview with auchincloss, who said Platner\u2019s Nazi tattoo is \u201cpersonally disqualifying\u201d for him and that voters in the Maine Democratic primary should consider alternatives. Platner faced backlash in October after a photo of the tattoo surfaced, later insisting he is \u201cnot a secret Nazi,\u201d and he also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-dakota-lowers-unemployment-to-pre-pandemic-levels-after-state-rejected-lockdowns\/\" title=\"South Dakota Lowers Unemployment to Pre-Pandemic Levels After State Rejected Lockdowns\">faced criticism<\/a> for now<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sanders-defends-embattled-maine-senate-hopeful-graham-platner\/\" title=\"Sanders defends embattled ... Senate hopeful ...\">-deleted reddit posts<\/a>; he later apologized. Benson added that if Platner wins the Democratic nomination, he would face Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and the Maine Senate primary is set for June 9.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Washington Examiner<\/em> columnist <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/guy-benson\/\">Guy Benson<\/a> slammed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\">Democrats<\/a> for their criticisms of Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), who called out <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\">Graham Platner<\/a>, a Democratic <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\">Senate<\/a> candidate for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey are eating him alive on the Left,\u201d Benson said on Fox Business\u2019s <em>The Bottom Line <\/em>on<em> <\/em>Tuesday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4583204\/spencer-pratt-may-be-answer-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spencer Pratt may be the answer: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4577833\/rising-gas-prices-gop-poll\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rising gas prices are causing voters to reconsider voting for GOP: Poll<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4582813\/florida-judge-upholds-gop-congressional-map\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Florida judge strikes down challenge to new GOP congressional map<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CNN on Monday <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4581973\/jake-auchincloss-susan-collins-maine-senate-graham-platner\/\">interviewed Auchincloss<\/a>, who said he found Platner\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >tattoo \u201cpersonally disqualifying<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs I said months ago, I find Platner\u2019s Nazi tattoo and his commentary about it personally disqualifying. If it were me I\u2019d vote for someone else in the Maine Democratic primary,\u201d Auchincloss said Tuesday on X.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Susan Collins is a rubber stamp for the worst admin in history. Claims that I would endorse her, implicitly or otherwise, ignore my track record supporting Democrats to take back both chambers. As I said months ago, I find Platner&#8217;s Nazi tattoo and his commentary about it\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jake Auchincloss (@JakeAuch) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JakeAuch\/status\/2059298977921556983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October, Platner came under fire after a photo circulated of him with a tattoo of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3858840\/maine-senate-graham-platner-nazi-tattoo\/\">Nazi symbol<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uMnc4ddc7j4\">interview with Tommy Vietor of <em>Pod Save America<\/em><\/a>  that month, Platner said, \u201cI am not a secret Nazi.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner also made several <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3856438\/ken-martin-graham-platner-posts-maine-senate\/\">now-deleted posts on Reddit<\/a>, including ones about an \u201carmed working class.\u201d Platner apologized for the posts <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/1979312580490596829\">on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think for this congressman from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/massachusetts\/\">Massachusetts<\/a>, he\u2019s like, \u2018I think some of this is just a bridge too far,\u2019\u201d Benson said of Auchincloss. <\/p>\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; width: 100%; max-width: 640px; min-height: 180px; max-height: 360px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share?id=3544858&#038;userid=11311&#038;usertype=user&#038;loginid=10455&#038;playercolor=%23000000&#038;playersize=auto&#038;code=15a5d92d8055ec29170fe95fbd577807\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benson argued that Democrats preach putting \u201ccountry over party.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey generally just mean that applies to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\">Republicans<\/a> with Trump \u2014 they don\u2019t ever want to apply it to themselves, even in a circumstance like this,\u201d Benson said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAlmost the entire party [is] rallying to the Nazi tattoos guy and his side,\u201d Benson added.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Platner wins the Democratic ticket, he will face Sen.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-collins\/\"> Susan Collins<\/a> (R-ME).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4581857\/platner-takes-aim-susan-collins-we-will-defeat-oligarchy\/\"><strong>PLATNER TAKES AIM AT SUSAN COLLINS: \u2018WE WILL DEFEAT THE OLIGARCHY\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKnives are out for this seemingly pretty lonely critic in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-party\/\">Democratic Party<\/a>,\u201d Benson said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Maine Senate primary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elections\/\">election<\/a> will be held June 9.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guy Benson blasted Democrats for \u201ceating him alive\u201d after Rep. Auchincloss criticized Maine candidate Graham Platner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4226,"featured_media":2607350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-uhk8dyldc-1779888939969-e1779891344667.jpg?1779879691&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4912,76106,74971,80333,39271],"class_list":["post-2607349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-democrat","tag-grahamplatner","tag-guybenson","tag-knivesout","tag-politicalcommentary"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-uhk8dyldc-1779888939969-e1779891344667.jpg?1779879691&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2607349"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2607353,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607349\/revisions\/2607353"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2607350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2607349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2607349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2607349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}