Stephen King, the famed horror novelist and Maine resident, deleted a post on X defending state Senate candidate Graham Platner, a Democrat whose campaign has been rocked by a rape allegation from a former girlfriend. The post, published Monday, weighed in on a Politico report detailing the accusation from Jenny Racicot, who claims Platner sexually assaulted her in 2021.
King wrote: “Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on.” The comment appeared to draw a parallel between the allegation against Platner and those leveled against former President Donald Trump. In a follow-up post, King added: “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.’”
The posts quickly drew fire online, with critics accusing King of minimizing the severity of the accusation. Columnist Jonah Goldberg fired back: “So because we don’t know about hypothetical rapey legislators we should forgive the ones we do know about.”
King attempted to clarify his stance Tuesday, writing: “Not defending Grah, Platner. If he committed rape, he should bow out. Just making a comparison.” He later corrected his misspelling of “Graham.”
The controversy comes as Platner faces a growing crisis. Racicot told Politico she met Platner on Bumble in 2019, and they had an on-and-off relationship. She alleges that in 2021, an intoxicated Platner entered her home uninvited and assaulted her. She said she delayed coming forward due to fear of retaliation and a desire to see a Democrat defeat incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Politico corroborated her account with multiple confidants, including a former boyfriend and her therapist.
Platner quickly denied the allegation in a video, saying he would “take time to reflect” on his campaign. Prominent Democrats soon urged him to end his Senate bid, and the allegation has deepened a factional rift within the Maine Democratic Party. The campaign, already marred by scandals including sexually explicit texts Platner sent while married, has lost critical support. State and national Democrats are now calling for him to step aside, with party leaders scrambling to find a replacement.
Even some of Platner’s former allies have turned. Three veterans groups withdrew their endorsements, and Senator Bernie Sanders publicly told Platner to exit the race. The episode has also drawn unusual cross-aisle commentary: former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene deleted a post criticizing Racicot, in which she suggested the encounter might have been “consensual sex” twisted for political gain.
The populist oyster farmer had easily won the Democratic primary and was positioned to challenge Collins. But the rape allegation, combined with the earlier scandals, has upended his campaign. With Platner’s support collapsing, Maine Democrats are now exploring options, including potential replacements like state Senator Troy Jackson.
