{"id":2609138,"date":"2026-06-01T14:13:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T18:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-graham-platner-ad-leans-into-trumpian-rhetoric\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T14:14:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T18:14:57","slug":"new-graham-platner-ad-leans-into-trumpian-rhetoric","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-graham-platner-ad-leans-into-trumpian-rhetoric\/","title":{"rendered":"New Graham Platner ad leans into Trumpian rhetoric"},"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\">16<\/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%2Fnew-graham-platner-ad-leans-into-trumpian-rhetoric%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=2609138&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>Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner released a new populist ad on Monday as he tried to shift attention from a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >weekend controversy involving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lincoln-project-disavows-co-founder-amid-reports-he-sent-sexually-explicit-messages-to-multiple-young-men\/\" title=\"Lincoln Project disavows co-founder amid reports he ...t sexually explicit messages to multiple young men\">sexually explicit messages<\/a><\/a> he allegedly sent to multiple women while married. Instead of addressing the controversy directly, the campaign attacked incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) by highlighting her financial disclosure receipts and framing the race as about working-class mainers versus powerful, wealthy elites.  <\/p>\n<p>The ad uses anti-oligarchy \u201ctaking back what is ours\u201d rhetoric, echoing some style associated with Donald Trump but focused on elites rather than immigration. The article notes that Platner has weathered multiple scandals during the campaign-along with growing political fallout-while still maintaining polling strength and support from progressive voters. The piece concludes that he and Collins are likely to face each other in the Nov. 3 election.  <\/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\">Maine Democratic Senate candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"22643\">Graham Platner<\/a> released a new populist advertisement on Monday, leaning into his anti-oligarchy message as he turns the page on another controversy that hit his campaign this weekend. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite news breaking this weekend that Platner had previously sent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4588537\/platner-wife-sexually-explicit-texts-aide\/\">sexually explicit messages<\/a> to multiple women while married to his wife, who knew about the texts, Platner came out on Monday on the offensive. He has fired off a letter targeting the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4588970\/graham-platner-susan-collins-financial-disclosures\/\">financial disclosure receipts<\/a> of his opponent, Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-collins\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1302\">Susan Collins<\/a> (R-ME), and has released the new advertisement aimed at firing up Maine\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-signals-support-for-amazon-workers-vote-to-unionize\/\" title=\"Biden Signals Support For Amazon Workers\u2019 Vote To Unionize\">working-class voters<\/a>.<\/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\/4588970\/graham-platner-susan-collins-financial-disclosures\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Graham Platner homes in on Susan Collins\u2019s financial disclosures after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-platner-homes-in-on-susan-collinss-financial-disclosures-after-weekend-playing-defense-over-explicit-texts\/\" title=\"Graham ... homes in on ...&#039;s financial disclosures after ... playing defense over explicit texts\">weekend playing defense<\/a> over explicit texts<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4588970\/graham-platner-susan-collins-financial-disclosures\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Graham Platner homes in on Susan Collins\u2019s financial disclosures after weekend playing defense over explicit texts<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4587478\/california-gop-incumbents-at-war-trump-loyalty-test\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>California GOP incumbents go to war in Trump loyalty test<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor decades the powerful have taken piece by piece, store by store, hospital by hospital, shore by shore,\u201d the Platner <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/2061460264520675350?s=20\">campaign ad<\/a> says. \u201cThey have taken, they took so much they began to think we didn\u2019t even exist at all. But they don\u2019t know Maine. They don\u2019t know the power that we have here. We are taking back what is ours.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4588970\/graham-platner-susan-collins-financial-disclosures\/\">GRAHAM PLATNER HOMES IN ON SUSAN COLLINS\u2019S FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES AFTER WEEKEND PLAYING DEFENSE OVER EXPLICIT TEXTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner has fielded controversy after controversy throughout his campaign. From addressing the sexually explicit messages over the weekend to addressing a now-covered-up skull <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3858840\/maine-senate-graham-platner-nazi-tattoo\/\">tattoo resembling Nazi SS imagery<\/a>, Platner has managed to stay <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/maine-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">up in the polls<\/a> against Collins as he relies on his leftist, populist message to carry him through each scandal. Like President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a>, Platner\u2019s past scandals haven\u2019t seemed to stick or matter much to his voters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner\u2019s recent ad also evokes a bit of Trump-esque rhetoric as he says his campaign is about Maine \u201ctaking back what is ours.\u201d But Platner\u2019s ad is about working-class Mainers \u201ctaking back\u201d from powerful, wealthy elites, while Trump\u2019s rhetoric has been tied to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illegal-immigrants\/\">illegal immigration<\/a>. The Trump administration launched \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-mdpa\/operation-take-back-america\">Operation Take Back America<\/a>\u201d in 2025 to target crime from illegal immigrants in the United States.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey say this movement came out of nowhere. They don\u2019t know Maine. This came out of a whole lot of somewheres: from lobstermen who\u2019ve worked too hard for too long, only to be pushed to the brink, from towns where the closest hospital is hours away, from workers who pay more in taxes than billionaires,\u201d the Platner ad says. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4589111\/graham-platner-tackles-sexting-scandal-deny-distract-attack\/\">WASHINGTON SECRETS \u2014 GRAHAM PLATNER TACKLES SEXTING SCANDAL WITH FAMILIAR STRATEGY: DENY, DISTRACT, ATTACK<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner became the Democratic Party\u2019s de facto nominee in late April, when Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"384\">Chuck Schumer\u2019s<\/a> (D-NY) pick, Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME), <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4549217\/janet-mills-drops-out-maine-senate-race-clearing-way-platner\/\">dropped out <\/a>of the primary race, citing fundraising concerns. Some members of the Democratic Party, which was slow to embrace Platner, have <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4588822\/cory-booker-concerns-platner-scandal\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4588822\">voiced concerns<\/a> with the candidate due to his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4581699\/dem-jake-auchincloss-refuses-endorse-platner-disqualifying-tattoo\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4581699\">many controversies<\/a>. But Platner has kept the support of progressive New Englanders, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), throughout each scandal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner and Collins are all but assured to face off in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">Nov. 3 election<\/a> for purple Maine\u2019s U.S. Senate seat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maine\u2019s Platner unveils anti-oligarchy ad after weekend controversy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2609139,"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\/GettyImages-2277646815.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[74421,32319,78243,5894,3950],"class_list":["post-2609138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-campaign-messaging-2","tag-donald-trump","tag-political-advertising-2","tag-politics","tag-rhetoric"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2277646815.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609138","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\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2609138"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2609142,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609138\/revisions\/2609142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2609139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2609138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2609138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2609138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}