Fetterman calls – U.S. Sen. John Fetterman sharply criticized Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner over reports of explicit messages sent via Kik and over a tattoo Platner says he didn’t understand when he got it. The forceful comments break with other Senate Democrats’ more c
For the third day in a row, Democratic leaders have had to decide what to do with the same headline. But in John Fetterman’s case, the answer came quickly and loudly.
A day before he ruled out a party switch, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman went on offense against Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner. calling him a “creep” over alleged extramarital sexting and attacking a controversial tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol. Fetterman’s criticism—delivered in a June 2 interview—marked a sharp break from other Senate Democrats. who have been more reserved after reports surfaced about sexual messages involving women outside Platner’s marriage.
Fetterman’s words landed on two themes at once: explicit alleged messages and a visual symbol. In his June 2 interview with CNN. he lambasted Platner over sexual messages he said were sent to women outside his marriage via the massaging app Kik under the username “phustle0331.” Fetterman asked. “What kind of a creep?. What kind of a creeper has been on … a platform like Kik. and send a dozen explicit kinds of messages and who knows what else?”.
He also attacked Platner over his tattoo of a skull and crossbones resembling a Nazi symbol. Platner has said he didn’t know the meaning of the tattoo when he got it as a Marine and has since covered it. Fetterman said. “When I was growing up. if someone had a clear Nazi tattoo on them. you probably could conclude that they’re a Nazi sympathizer.”.
The political backdrop makes the timing harder to ignore. Platner is the leading Democratic candidate for Maine’s Senate race, polling ahead of Republican incumbent Susan Collins. In a recent University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll, Platner led 51% to 42% over Collins.
The contrast inside the Democratic bench has been stark. On the same June 2 day Fetterman delivered his criticism, Platner met with Senate Democrats in Washington, DC, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Peter Welch, Elizabeth Warren, Adam Schiff, and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. Prior to the sexting reports, Sanders and Warren had both given Platner their endorsements.
Sanders. speaking on June 2. also pointed at the dynamics of the race when he said. “Now. why do the richest people in this country want to defeat Graham Platner?. That should tell you everything you need to know, because he’s gonna stand up for working people. Is he a saint?. I guess not. I don’t know too many saints here.”.
Fetterman didn’t offer a path to an easy unity message, at least not about the general election matchup. In his June 2 interview with CNN. he didn’t say whether he would back Platner if he becomes the Democratic nominee and responded. “No. no. I don’t know” when asked whether he would back GOP Sen. Susan Collins over Platner in a general election. Still, he conceded that if Platner wins, they “all have to work together.”.
That kind of reconciliation doesn’t seem to run in both directions. Earlier this year. Platner told Mehdi Hasan that Fetterman was the “bane of my existence” after a comparison between the two was raised. In other words. even before the sexting controversy became a national focus. the two were already portrayed as no fans of each other.
The allegations at the center of the fight have been described in multiple major outlets. At the end of May. both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that Platner exchanged sexual messages with women outside his marriage prior to his campaign. His wife, Amy Gertner, responded in a video posted to social media the same day. While she didn’t directly address the texts. she said she and Platner were in marriage counseling to work through challenges raised through his campaign as well as infertility.
Gertner said. “It makes me really angry. disappointed. and I find it really shameful that there’s a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip instead of talking about real issues that Graham is running on.” She added. “No marriage is perfect and I don’t want a perfect marriage. I want our marriage.”.
Platner’s difficulties have not been limited to the latest reports. The candidate has also faced criticism over his now-covered Nazi-leaning tattoo, which resembled a Nazi symbol in October 2025. He has also been criticized for old Reddit posts in which he made controversial comments about sexual assault and race. He has said he no longer agrees with the contents of those Reddit posts.
The sequence of events is sharp: endorsements were issued before the end-of-May allegations. a June 2 meeting brought high-profile Senate Democrats into the same room as Platner. and then Fetterman arrived with blistering language about both sexting claims and a Nazi-symbol tattoo. The result is a party trying to manage a high-stakes candidate while internal voices disagree on how hard to hit—and how soon.
Where the situation stands now is clear on one point: Platner remains the Democratic frontrunner for Maine’s Senate race. leading Susan Collins in a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll at 51% to 42%. But after Fetterman’s comments. the questions around how Democrats handle the controversy—especially when it becomes personal—are no longer confined to private strategy sessions. They’re now part of the public campaign air.
John Fetterman Graham Platner Maine Senate race Susan Collins Kik sexting Nazi tattoo Democratic Party Kirsten Gillibrand Bernie Sanders Elizabeth Warren Adam Schiff Peter Welch