{"id":2627299,"date":"2026-07-09T12:55:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-happens-to-the-brains-behind-graham-platners-rise-and-fall-theyll-find-another-oyster-farmer\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T12:57:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:57:49","slug":"what-happens-to-the-brains-behind-graham-platners-rise-and-fall-theyll-find-another-oyster-farmer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-happens-to-the-brains-behind-graham-platners-rise-and-fall-theyll-find-another-oyster-farmer\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens to the brains behind Graham Platner&#8217;s rise and fall? They&#8217;ll find another oyster farmer"},"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\">32<\/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%2Fwhat-happens-to-the-brains-behind-graham-platners-rise-and-fall-theyll-find-another-oyster-farmer%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=2627299&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>This edition of Washington Secrets explores several political and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >national security topics<\/a>. It highlights teh rise and fall of Maine senate candidate Graham Platner, an outsider with a controversial background, whose campaign was derailed by scandals including racist and inappropriate messages, though some believe his political appeal may still persist.The article details how Democrat strategists, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-look-back-on-court-packing-attempts-in-us-history\/\" title=\"A Look Back On \u2018Court Packing\u2019 Attempts in US History\">initially optimistic<\/a> about recruiting unconventional candidates like Platner, face challenges as their vetting processes failed and allegations emerged. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, it discusses Trump\u2019s use of an older Air Force One model on his flight home from the NATO summit, casting doubt on the security capabilities of newer aircraft, and includes a satirical quote from Trump about allegations against Platner. The piece also touches on investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and a woke controversy involving Elon Musk. the report underscores the unpredictable nature of political campaigns, candidate vetting complexities, and ongoing security debates.  <\/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\"><strong><em>Welcome to Thursday\u2019s edition of <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>. We take a detour to Maine today, in case you want to read even more about Graham Platner. We reckon there is probably good news for the crew that guided his campaign. Democrats are in such a heaving mess that Team Platner will still find takers for their brand of blue-collar-outsider-as-savior and don\u2019t-worry-about-the-vetting model of politics. Plus, why the new Air Force One is not as safe as the old versions <\/em>\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you believe <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\">Graham Platner\u2019s<\/a> origin story, he was a regular Joe plucked from obscurity to keep the socialist flame burning in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/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\/washington-secrets\/4641926\/what-happens-brains-behind-graham-platner-rise-and-fall\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>What happens to the brains behind Graham Platner\u2019s rise and fall? They\u2019ll find another oyster farmer<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/4641960\/giving-platner-the-bums-rush\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Giving Platner the bum\u2019s rush<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4641318\/trump-intrigue-qatari-jet-old-air-force-one\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Donald Trump sparks intrigue by ditching new Qatari jet for old Air Force One<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic operative Leanne Fan found a video of the oyster farmer online and took it to her fiance, Dan Moraff, along with filings showing that he had donated to Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bernie-sanders\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"41\">Bernie Sanders<\/a>\u2018s (I-VT) presidential campaigns in the past.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They tracked him down by finding his mother at Ironbound, her restaurant, according to the well-told story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After their first meeting with Platner, the couple, who met campaigning for Sanders in 2020, called Morris Katz, who was building his own reputation as the finder of talent from outside the party establishment \u2014 think John Fetterman, the hoodie-wearing senator in Pennsylvania, or <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11802\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, the socialist mayor of New York.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a while, they were hailed as geniuses. The upstart strategists really did know better than the stale party establishment. Their candidate managed to knock Janet Mills, a two-term governor, out of the Democratic primary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moraff was the subject of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/17\/opinion\/democrats-platner-osborn-daniel-moraff.html?smtyp=cur&#038;smid=bsky-nytopinion\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/17\/opinion\/democrats-platner-osborn-daniel-moraff.html?smtyp=cur&#038;smid=bsky-nytopinion\"><em>New York Times<\/em> opinion piece<\/a> initially headlined: \u201cThe Democrats need better candidates. This guy knows how to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moraff\u2019s template was clear. The piece described how he sought out military veterans with blue-collar jobs and no electoral experience but who had an interest in politics and maybe labor unions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At last, Democrats had an idea how to find their own versions of Donald Trump, a model for finding populist outsiders who appealed to a whole new type of voter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now their project lies in tatters. Their candidate has been <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4638358\/graham-platner-suspends-maine-senate-campaign\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4638358\/graham-platner-suspends-maine-senate-campaign\/\">forced out of the race<\/a> by one scandal too many. After the Nazi tattoo, the text messages to other women, the claims of inappropriate behavior, anti-gay slurs posted on Reddit, Platner\u2019s campaign could ultimately not survive an allegation of rape, which he denies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or does it? <em>Secrets <\/em>suspects that the existential angst in the Democratic Party means the brains behind Platner\u2019s rise will find fresh landing spots, simply moving on to another oyster farmer with campaign cash to spend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said it all depended on whether Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was defeated in November.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf Collins wins, and especially if the failure to beat Collins means it\u2019s a difference between Democrats taking control of the Senate or not, that\u2019s going to be a lot for them to handle in the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But their model was likely to remain in demand, helping them land more work in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe reality is you\u2019re still going to get these candidates, because those are the kind of candidates that voters want,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI mean, these guys didn\u2019t manufacture the need for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/peru-votes-to-impeach-its-fifth-president-in-6-years\/\" title=\"Peru Votes to Impeach Its Fifth ... in 6 Years\">anti-establishment candidate<\/a> in Maine. It exists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4596773\/graham-platner-rise-mamdani-moraff-katz-fan\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4596773\/graham-platner-rise-mamdani-moraff-katz-fan\/\"><strong>MEET THE TEAM BEHIND GRAHAM PLATNER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the allegations against Platner surfaced this week, dozens of prominent Democrats went public with their horror at the failure of Moraff, Fan, and Katz to do a proper job of vetting their candidate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese guys were so proud of themselves they did an interview with the WSJ,\u201d posted Neera Tanden, the director of former President Joe Biden\u2019s Domestic Policy Council. She linked to a video of the interview in which Fan giggles when asked how she and Moraff had vetted Platner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She giggles again when Moraff explains that they had paid a company to check out Platner, and it had returned with details of unsavory Reddit posts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPart of our thesis here is that people do not want their candidates grown in vats,\u201d he said. \u201cThey want people who are real human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Up to a point, said Joel Rubin, a State Department official under former President Barack Obama who worked for the 2020 Sanders campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMaybe next time (if there is one) they\u2019ll recruit someone who actually has a proven track record of public service. Having that experience is a strength, not the weakness they portrayed it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-trump-tag-teams-air-force-ones-on-flight-home\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trump tag teams Air Force Ones on flight home<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Secrets <\/em>took a look at the new Air Force One last night, after it emerged that Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4640246\/trump-sending-air-force-one-uk\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4640246\/trump-sending-air-force-one-uk\/\">had ditched the Qatari jet<\/a> for his departure from Ankara, Turkey, for one of the older models.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He claimed it was to allow service personnel in the United Kingdom to tour the aircraft, which is serving as a \u201cbridge\u201d to two new, much delayed converted 747s, now expected in 2028 at the earliest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yet, no one really believed him. He had, after all, just promised to bomb Iran again, perhaps forgetting that he was making the threat from the soil of a country that has a 300-mile border with the land of the mullahs, no doubt giving Secret Service agents the shivers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So he took off in the old jet, and then, after landing at an air base in Britain, he simply descended one flight of steps before walking across to the new one and continuing his journey home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House insisted that the Qatari jet was \u201ca state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But we spoke to experts who pointed out that its hurried introduction meant it lacked key systems, such as infrared missile countermeasures and communications gear, and had certainly not had time to be hardened against electromagnetic pulses of the sort triggered by nuclear detonations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4641318\/trump-intrigue-qatari-jet-old-air-force-one\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4641318\/trump-intrigue-qatari-jet-old-air-force-one\/\"><strong>You can read the full story here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-quote-of-the-day\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quote of the day<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump was asked about the allegations against Platner as he flew home from the NATO summit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s really a question of whether or not you believe the woman,\u201d he told reporters on Air Force One. \u201cA lot of people say big falsehoods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Secrets<\/em> leaves you to insert your own punchline.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-lunchtime-reading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lunchtime reading <\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/09\/jeffrey-epstein-trump-house-investigation-00990996\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/09\/jeffrey-epstein-trump-house-investigation-00990996\"><strong>Why the House\u2019s Epstein investigation isn\u2019t going away<\/strong><\/a>: In a nutshell, because the political incentives are too good to ignore for both parties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.com\/news\/article-15963901\/Elon-Musk-Tom-Holland-woke-row-Odyssey.html\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.com\/news\/article-15963901\/Elon-Musk-Tom-Holland-woke-row-Odyssey.html\"><strong>Elon Musk calls historian Tom Holland a \u2018cuck\u2019 for wading into \u2018woke row\u2019 over casting of black actress Lupita Nyong\u2019o as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey<\/strong><\/a>: This <em>Daily Mail<\/em> headline probably needs no further explanation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>You are reading <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#2f5c4a4c5d4a5b5c6f584e5c474641485b40414a574e4246414a5d014c4042\"> <span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"bfccdadccddacbccffc8deccd7d6d1d8cbd0d1dac7ded2d6d1dacd91dcd0d2\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a> with your comments, story tips, and suggestions. If a friend sent you this and you\u2019d like to sign up, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/click1.trk-washingtonexaminer.com\/xprvgynrhhctscghtpnrptnqlrtypjmjlkrlcnpvhgpdcr_jtjrvfbrrsmwbqmnsbmvsv.html?a=Washington+Secrets+Lara+Trump&#038;b=01%2F21%2F2026&#038;c=WEX_Washington+Secrets&#038;d=25812206&#038;e=da31c45955c9411a6c40ecd0e967fa8def1f0fc08362faaa0dee09386ff5c41b\">click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thursday\u2019s Washington Secrets: Maine, Platner, and more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2627300,"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\/07\/GettyImages-2282421446.jpg?w=594","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[82471,65649,65282,82472,82473],"class_list":["post-2627299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-brain-2","tag-graham-platner","tag-oyster-farmer","tag-rise-and-fall","tag-story-analysis"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282421446.jpg?w=594","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627299","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\/4136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2627299"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2627303,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627299\/revisions\/2627303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2627300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2627299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2627299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2627299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}