On this episode of The Truth with Lisa Boothe, Lisa sits down with Maine State Representative Laurel Libby to discuss the growing controversy surrounding Graham Platner’s Senate campaign, the battle inside the Democratic Party, and what it could mean for the future of Maine politics.
Libby breaks down the latest developments as Platner faces mounting scandals, pressure from Democrat leaders to step aside, and questions about whether he will remain in the race. She explains why the situation has sparked an unprecedented public fight among Maine Democrats and why she believes the party’s response reveals a deeper divide between the establishment and the rising socialist wing.
Lisa and Rep. Libby also discuss Senator Susan Collins’ path to reelection, why Collins continues to win over independent voters in Maine, and the broader national fight over the direction of the Democratic Party.
Don’t miss this conversation on political accountability, the 2026 Senate battle, and the future of American politics.
Start protecting what you've worked hard for, right now. Head over to coveron.com/truth to learn more about how Coveron has your back.
Follow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the Truth with Lisa Booth. We'll get to
the heart of the issues that matter to you. Today
we're talking about Graham.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Plattner, or the Democrat nominee in the state of Maine.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We're all wondering does he drop out or does he not?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
He's got until Monday, July thirteenth to make that decision
on his own, even though the Democrat Party in the
state is trying to force him out as well as
establishment insiders.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It's his choice. He decides if he stays and or not.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
What's crazy, though, is the Democrat primary voters had a
long list of issues against him before they nominated him.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
They already knew that he was abusive to an ex girlfriend.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
They knew that he had a Nazi tattoo, they knew
that he was on an app called Kick, which is
known to be a predator's paradise, and the list goes
on and on. However, we most recently learned that he's
been accused of raping an ex girlfriend. So now Democrats
are calling for him to exit the race. So what's
gonna happen?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Where does this go and what does this race look.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Like for Susan Collins Now if another nominee ends up
being selected by the Democrat Party, if Graham Platner steps out,
We're gonna ask Maine State Representative Laurel Libby.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
You know, or she's been on the show before.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
She has led the effort fighting against men and women's
sports in the state and opposing her Governor Janet Mills
on that. But we're gonna get our take what is
she hearing inside the state? Stay tuned for that and
so much more. We've got State Representative Laurel Libby. Really
appreciate you making the time to come on the show.
(01:40):
Last time we talked about the insanity in your state
with men and women's sports, and now we've got grand Platners.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You know, I've been in Maine.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
It's a beautiful state, but you guys have been in
the news for some things that.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Aren't so great lately. What are you hearing?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
A lot of people were trying to figure out does
Grand Platter drop out or not? You know, what are
you hearing in the state kind of what's what's the
rumor mill look like right now?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, it changes by the hour, and I do want
to reiterate lease, so we do have some wonderful things
here in Maine. We have the ocean, we have mountains,
we have forests, and yes, we have Grand Platner. And
so at this point it's really he's kind of holding
the Democrat establishment hostage. And he has the ability to
do that because our statue, our laws here in Maine
(02:30):
say that the candidate has to willingly drop out, and
so that deadline to drop out is next Monday at
five pm.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
And I think last night.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
The Democrat establishment, the party here in Maine, released a
video saying basically Grand Platner is trying to trying to
control this and we're not going to allow that and
kind of putting down, laying down a gauntlet. And the
campaign's response today has been Okay, well now we're going
to double down, and they sent out a text to
(03:02):
their you know, thousands of followers saying, what do you
want to say to the establishment, what do you want
to say to the campaign, and we'll make our decision
from there.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I think what's wild to me is, you know, obviously
we had the latest news where he was accused of rape,
but even prior to that, and prior to the primary,
I mean, the list was long about things about this
guy's background, whether it be the Nazi tattoo, being on
the kick app, which is known to be a predator's paradise,
(03:35):
or you know, accusations that he was aggressive and abusive
to ex girlfriends, you know, sexting other women outside of
his marriage, racist comment or racist comments blaming rape victims.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I mean, the list goes on and on.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And what is crazy to me is that not only
did he win his primary, but he got more primary
votes than any other Democrat US sentate nominee and means
history going back to nineteen eighteen.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So not only.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Despite all of that did he win the primary, but
he got a record amount of votes.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
And I think that's what's driving him to say, like,
I'm going to make these demands and you're going to
have to listen to me, because he has rallied folks.
And you're right, it's in spite of everything. I think
you needed a timeline to remember all of these things
that have broken, you know, from the Nazi tattoo back
last ball to the latest rape allegations. I mean, it
(04:36):
just keeps getting worse with every single one, and I
think main voters just kind of got to a point,
at least main Democrat voters that voted for him, which
just got to a point where they're like, okay.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Okay, next, next.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
And they had started out with the Nazi tattoo, going okay,
it's a flawed individual and he has maybe repented, and
we want to win at all costs, so we're going
to take our lumps, and so with every new scandal
they just kept going, okay, well, same flawed individual. We've
been accepting. Now we've got to take this new.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
One.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
And even last month there were allegations of at least assault.
I mean, I don't consider in grabbing someone by their arments,
rolling them into a room, and then locking them in there.
I don't think that that's benign. That to me is assault.
And that was even discounted. Oh well, it came from
(05:32):
a Republican so it's got to be political and we
should just discount it. Never mind, you know, believing all women,
they were all in, and you know, part of the
reason they're all in is because he's promising to fix
these very real problems in our state that are being
misattributed to the federal government when they really are the
(05:55):
fault of Governor Mills and the Democrats who have been
in control of our state for the la last eight years.
But they feel the pain and they're trying to figure
out what the cause is, and he offers what sounds
like a plausible solution.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
You know, I guess if you're a grand platiner, I'm
trying to I'm trying to read the tea leaves and
figure out if he drops out or not. As you said,
he's got this July thirteenth the deadline where he has
to voluntarily drop out. I mean, the party can't put
him out. He's got to make the decision on his
own accord. You know, obviously he's stopped. There's been reports
that he's no longer doing TV advertising, that he's paused events.
(06:31):
But some of that no longer doing TV advertising could
be a money issue because his burn rate has been really,
really high, and so he might just you know, be
out of money at this current juncture. But like, why
would he step down, to be perfectly honest, Like it's
not like he's got some big career to fall back on,
Like he's already been anti establishment. He doesn't have a
political future after this. So if you're him, like what
(06:54):
incentive do you have to drop out of the race?
Speaker 3 (06:58):
You know, if he if he thinks he's the only
person who had a shot to beat Susan Collins. I
don't know that he has any incentive to get out
of the race. And he is the anti establishment candidate.
So if your anti establishment and the establishment is coming
after you saying dropout or else, but I think you
do double down and I bring on the popcorn. This
(07:21):
is fascinating to watch. You never see main Democrats fighting
out in the open, and this is very in the open.
So if you had asked me, even after this broke,
if he dropped out, I have always maintained that he
just has too big of an ego and too much
hubris to ever actually drop out. I would have maintained
(07:42):
that through Monday. Yesterday I saw a glimmer of like, okay,
maybe he will, and then the Democrats put out that video,
you know, saying he has no place in this decision,
and I went, okay, this is going to get interesting again.
I don't know what he'll do. I don't think anyone does,
including his campaign staff, certainly not establishment Democrats. So it's
(08:03):
going to be really interesting to watch. I guess we've
got sort of a timeline where he's He's said, you know,
we're going to collect responses for the next forty eight
hours from his supporters and see what they say.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
No, I mean, yeah, this guy has stayed in the
race thus far, you know, despite an onslaught of you know,
negative OPO dumps on him. I think the sad thing is, like,
even if he stays in the race, I think the
race is still competitive.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
What do you think.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I think that Susan Collins has been an incredible senator
for Maine and that she trounces him one hundred, one
hundred percent. Like, I don't think he's got a shot,
but I don't think he cares at this point. I
think he the establishment is showing their their hand. They're
(08:55):
showing that all they care about is winning. All they
care about is winning. That's that is very clear, right.
And and what he is, what he cares about, and
what he has advanced is is a people power movement.
And you've got to give credit where credit is due.
That is what he has done. That's what this this
(09:17):
they're trying to do across the country is you know,
get folks fired up so they'll vote for these socialist candidates.
You need an army of supporters to make.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
That happen, and so.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I think that the Democrat establishment doesn't know what to
do with him, and they can't force him, so it's
going to be it's honestly anybody's guests.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
It was interesting to see the Democrat Party of Maine
come out and sort of like publicly call on him
to step down. You know, you think, at least politically,
the more strategic move would be to try to work
behind the scene and you know, to make it happen.
(10:04):
I guess would you make of seeing the video? Do
you think that was a political mistake by the party.
Obviously you know these figures better than I do. But like,
have you ever, I've never I don't think I've seen
anything like that happen before.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, I think it. I think it was a political mistake,
and the Democrats are racking those upright. Last year when
they centured me, that was a dumb move on their part.
I think putting that video out last night was another
dumb move on their part. And it's certainly not gonna
do what they wanted it to do, which was expedite
Grand Platner jumping out of the race. But you know,
(10:43):
you'd think that they would know that, so why intentionally
antagonize the guy? I think that the more they try
to force his hand, the more he's gonna double down.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Quick break. But before we do, I want to talk
to you about something important. Just how easy it's become
for scammers to take your hard earned money today. Fraud
doesn't just happen to careless people. Could be a convincing
phone call, a realistic looking email, or just one wrong
click can be enough, and once the money is gone,
getting it back is often a long, stressful fight if
it comes back at all. Cover On is built to
(11:16):
help with exactly this. It monitors your personal information and
alerts you when something looks suspicious. But now here's the difference.
If a scammer does get through, cover On doesn't just
send you an alert and wish you luck. It provides
financial protection for eligible online fraud, identity theft, and other
digital threats, along with access to experts who can help
guide you through the recovery process. Because when your money
(11:39):
or your identity is on the line, knowing what happened
is only half the battle.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Knowing what to do next matters just as much.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
You've worked way too hard to hand over your savings
to a criminal. Cover On helps make sure that one
mistake doesn't equal financial disaster. Find out more by visiting
their website at www. Dot cover on dot com slash truth,
or you can tap the link in this episode's description.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Start protecting what you've worked so hard for right now.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Head over to cover on dot com slash truth to
learn more about how cover On has your back. Why
do you think Susan Collins she's been able to defy
the odds consistently throughout elections? Now, I think it was
(12:25):
in twenty twenty, Just going off my memory, I believe
she won by eight when Biden won the state by eight,
which is remarkable. You don't really see split ticket voting
like that anymore modern politics. So why do you think
she's able to defy the odds in Maine?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I think Maynors are independent minded, and when you look
at our electorate, we have, you know, basically a third Democrat,
third Republican, third independent, and those manors, whether you're Democrat,
Republican or independent, Maynors want to vote for the person
that they like, that they think best represents them. And
so of course you've got you know, partisan folks on
(13:06):
both sides who are only ever going to vote party.
But then you do have a lot of folks who
are going to split ticket and they're going to vote
for the person they like. And Susan Collins has represented maynors,
not just Republicans, and definitely, you know, not just Democrats,
but mayners as a whole. And you see that because
(13:27):
she is willing to work across the aisle. She is
willing to vote her conscience instead of just party lines,
and that resonates with people. That resonates with how they
vote in the ballot box, and they see that she
is focused on the practical as well. We're very practical people,
and so when you know that, you know you have
(13:48):
a fire station in an existence. Because Susan Collins brought
those funds here by being chair of the Appropriations Community, well,
that's very practical. She is ensuring that our needs are
met here in our state. And so, regardless of party,
folks understand that we're pragmatic, we're independent minded, and Susan
Collins she fits that. I mean, I'll take Grand Platner
(14:11):
as an example. You know, he's he's swearing that if
he gets into office, he is never going to vote
for Trump nominee. Okay, well, Susan Collins has voted for
nominees of presidents of both parties because she's voted based
on the person and if they're suited for the job,
instead of saying I'm going to go in there and
I'm going to be an absolute partisan and cause havoc. Well,
(14:34):
that's not Susan Collins.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Do you think apparently Plantner's campaign commissioned a poll exploring
some of the other candidates against Collins to see who
would do the best against her.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
You know, if Planner.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Does step down and someone else steps up, how tough
a race do you think this is going to look
like for Collins?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
You know, I hadn't heard that it was Platner's campaign
that commissioned that pole, but I do. I do remember
that mc dreams on that list. Patrick Dempsey is a
manor and was on that pole. So I mean, I
guess if you're talking McDreamy versus Susan Collins, I don't know.
I don't know how that race goes. That would be
(15:21):
an interesting one.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I was still young seeing him in ads.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
I mean, it would make for an interesting campaign cycle,
wouldn't it.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
But you know, there.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I think there's a short, short runway here for anyone
to get up to speed. And you know, I hear
I hear Troy Jackson his name thrown around. I hear
Shanna Bellows or secretary of State, and and some others,
And boy, I hear the appeal of those names. Those
(15:56):
two just finished running for governor. They failed in the primary.
Near off Shaw is another name from that primary. I
think that some folks would say that that short, short
runway is a good thing, but that's a very short
time to build up your campaign, get the grassroots moving,
raise the funds, and get your name out there. And
(16:20):
they all have plenty of negatives. I mean, there's already
stories circulating about Troy Jackson check in a water bottle
at one of his one of his caucus female caucus members.
It's a well known story. It's been around Augusta for
a long time. And so all of this stuff will surface.
And it's interesting to watch these national socialist groups trying
(16:44):
to again pick our senate candidate at the Democrat Senate
candidate after they failed so miserably with Graham Platner. Good
luck to them.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
What's also, you know, I mean, this is the party
who claims to care about democracy. I mean, you know,
we heard democracy more times than we can count during
the twenty twenty election and as well as the most
recent presidential election. But yet you see with the Biden situation,
(17:14):
you know, you'd already had a significant amount of you know,
Biden was already the nominee, and the Democrats coronated Kamala Harris,
and then it looks like potentially if Platner drops out,
they're going to do that again.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
So it's like, do they really care about democracy?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Yeah, it's it's been really interesting to watch, and I
think it's similar, of course, but particularly how they might
replace him. Similar but different. I think, you know, the
the Biden situation and folks finally owning up to what
he was. I think we've known all along, and the
Democrats have known all along exactly what grim Platner is.
(17:53):
It's just that they're finally reckoning with I mean it
was similar in that they know he can't win. I mean,
that's the only reason they're looking to get him out
of the race. Now. They don't mind that he's an
alleged rapist, they don't mind that he has a Nazi
tattoo that of course he's known what it was. They
don't mind all of these things that have come up,
(18:14):
but they do mind that they can't win, and so
I think that they're going to lose the folks who
have been part of this grassroots network that has sprung
up if they're not very, very careful. And again I'm
on the other team. I'm working very hard to make
(18:36):
sure that we have Senator Collins reelected because she is
going to serve our state infinitely better than anyone on
their side possibly could. But I think that it's a
strategic error of monumental proportions for their side to discount
this movement.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
What do you think it says about the left and
Democrats in your state that they stood beside Platner through
a laundry list of accusations against them up until the
point of rape, and then also probably more accurately, up
until the point where he started slipping in the polls
(19:18):
against Susan. Like, what if I tell you about the
Democrat Party today?
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I mean, it just speaks to the complete hypocrisy. It's disgusting.
You have someone who has just lied over and over
and over again, and they have demonstrated that they don't care.
They do not care at all whatsoever. They call out
Republicans for the least infraction, and here they've got the
(19:47):
most lawed candidate you could ever possibly have, and they've
had his back through all of it. It is it's
remarkable to see. And I've been discussed sted for months.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
You know, they will, the Democrats will call a Republican
a Nazi for literally any reason under the sun, and
then they have a candidate with an actual Nazi tattoo
and they will excuse it away as he didn't know
for eighteen years.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I don't think that. I don't think you can claim
any kind of moral high ground after proclaiming him as
your candidate, and here in Maine, I mean, frankly, I
hope it hurts them in the election. You've got Hannah Pingrey,
who is the nominee for governor and until very very
recently was joyfully campaigning with Graham Plattner and absolutely he
(20:45):
was our candidate. And that's even through last month's allegations.
You know, all of these Democrats have been back in
Graham Platner, despite the fact that part of Jenny's story
was out and that Lindsay Feiffield had come forward, and
the abject artisan refusal to acknowledge assault because the woman
(21:11):
was Republican is disgusting.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
And then is there anything else you'd like to leave
us with before we go?
Speaker 3 (21:16):
You know, I've been talking about Graham Patner in how
extreme he is for a long time, because I think
that that has often gotten lost in how extreme his
personal life is. I think that we still need to
keep that in mind. There is this agenda across the
country in the Democrat Party. There are there's this extreme
faction that is trying to get Democrat socialists elected. Let's
(21:39):
be honest, get socialists elected who want to destroy our
way of life, who are dangerous to the next two
hundred and fifty years of America. And if we are
not careful, they are building a movement. We should not
discount that. And if you think your average run of
the mill Democrat is dangerous, wait until we've got a
(22:03):
bunch of socialists down in DC who are demanding that
it's their way or the highway. And watch as we
see the America that we hold deer slip away. And
so whether Graham Platner stays in the race or not,
I cannot more strongly say that we have to fight
(22:25):
back and ensure that this socialist wing of the Democrat
Party does not succeed.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I agree, Stay representative of Laura Libby, appreciate you for
joining the show.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Those representative Laura Libby of Maine, Appreciate her for coming
on the show. Appreciate you guys at home for listening
every Tuesday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week.
I want to think John Cassio and my producer for
putting the show together.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Until next time.
Welcome to the Truth with Lisa Booth. We'll get to
the heart of the issues that matter to you. Today
we're talking about Graham.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Plattner, or the Democrat nominee in the state of Maine.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We're all wondering does he drop out or does he not?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
He's got until Monday, July thirteenth to make that decision
on his own, even though the Democrat Party in the
state is trying to force him out as well as
establishment insiders.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It's his choice. He decides if he stays and or not.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
What's crazy, though, is the Democrat primary voters had a
long list of issues against him before they nominated him.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
They already knew that he was abusive to an ex girlfriend.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
They knew that he had a Nazi tattoo, they knew
that he was on an app called Kick, which is
known to be a predator's paradise, and the list goes
on and on. However, we most recently learned that he's
been accused of raping an ex girlfriend. So now Democrats
are calling for him to exit the race. So what's
gonna happen?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Where does this go and what does this race look.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Like for Susan Collins Now if another nominee ends up
being selected by the Democrat Party, if Graham Platner steps out,
We're gonna ask Maine State Representative Laurel Libby.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
You know, or she's been on the show before.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
She has led the effort fighting against men and women's
sports in the state and opposing her Governor Janet Mills
on that. But we're gonna get our take what is
she hearing inside the state? Stay tuned for that and
so much more. We've got State Representative Laurel Libby. Really
appreciate you making the time to come on the show.
(01:40):
Last time we talked about the insanity in your state
with men and women's sports, and now we've got grand Platners.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You know, I've been in Maine.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
It's a beautiful state, but you guys have been in
the news for some things that.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Aren't so great lately. What are you hearing?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
A lot of people were trying to figure out does
Grand Platter drop out or not? You know, what are
you hearing in the state kind of what's what's the
rumor mill look like right now?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, it changes by the hour, and I do want
to reiterate lease, so we do have some wonderful things
here in Maine. We have the ocean, we have mountains,
we have forests, and yes, we have Grand Platner. And
so at this point it's really he's kind of holding
the Democrat establishment hostage. And he has the ability to
do that because our statue, our laws here in Maine
(02:30):
say that the candidate has to willingly drop out, and
so that deadline to drop out is next Monday at
five pm.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
And I think last night.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
The Democrat establishment, the party here in Maine, released a
video saying basically Grand Platner is trying to trying to
control this and we're not going to allow that and
kind of putting down, laying down a gauntlet. And the
campaign's response today has been Okay, well now we're going
to double down, and they sent out a text to
(03:02):
their you know, thousands of followers saying, what do you
want to say to the establishment, what do you want
to say to the campaign, and we'll make our decision
from there.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I think what's wild to me is, you know, obviously
we had the latest news where he was accused of rape,
but even prior to that, and prior to the primary,
I mean, the list was long about things about this
guy's background, whether it be the Nazi tattoo, being on
the kick app, which is known to be a predator's paradise,
(03:35):
or you know, accusations that he was aggressive and abusive
to ex girlfriends, you know, sexting other women outside of
his marriage, racist comment or racist comments blaming rape victims.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I mean, the list goes on and on.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And what is crazy to me is that not only
did he win his primary, but he got more primary
votes than any other Democrat US sentate nominee and means
history going back to nineteen eighteen.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So not only.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Despite all of that did he win the primary, but
he got a record amount of votes.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
And I think that's what's driving him to say, like,
I'm going to make these demands and you're going to
have to listen to me, because he has rallied folks.
And you're right, it's in spite of everything. I think
you needed a timeline to remember all of these things
that have broken, you know, from the Nazi tattoo back
last ball to the latest rape allegations. I mean, it
(04:36):
just keeps getting worse with every single one, and I
think main voters just kind of got to a point,
at least main Democrat voters that voted for him, which
just got to a point where they're like, okay.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Okay, next, next.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
And they had started out with the Nazi tattoo, going okay,
it's a flawed individual and he has maybe repented, and
we want to win at all costs, so we're going
to take our lumps, and so with every new scandal
they just kept going, okay, well, same flawed individual. We've
been accepting. Now we've got to take this new.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
One.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
And even last month there were allegations of at least assault.
I mean, I don't consider in grabbing someone by their arments,
rolling them into a room, and then locking them in there.
I don't think that that's benign. That to me is assault.
And that was even discounted. Oh well, it came from
(05:32):
a Republican so it's got to be political and we
should just discount it. Never mind, you know, believing all women,
they were all in, and you know, part of the
reason they're all in is because he's promising to fix
these very real problems in our state that are being
misattributed to the federal government when they really are the
(05:55):
fault of Governor Mills and the Democrats who have been
in control of our state for the la last eight years.
But they feel the pain and they're trying to figure
out what the cause is, and he offers what sounds
like a plausible solution.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
You know, I guess if you're a grand platiner, I'm
trying to I'm trying to read the tea leaves and
figure out if he drops out or not. As you said,
he's got this July thirteenth the deadline where he has
to voluntarily drop out. I mean, the party can't put
him out. He's got to make the decision on his
own accord. You know, obviously he's stopped. There's been reports
that he's no longer doing TV advertising, that he's paused events.
(06:31):
But some of that no longer doing TV advertising could
be a money issue because his burn rate has been really,
really high, and so he might just you know, be
out of money at this current juncture. But like, why
would he step down, to be perfectly honest, Like it's
not like he's got some big career to fall back on,
Like he's already been anti establishment. He doesn't have a
political future after this. So if you're him, like what
(06:54):
incentive do you have to drop out of the race?
Speaker 3 (06:58):
You know, if he if he thinks he's the only
person who had a shot to beat Susan Collins. I
don't know that he has any incentive to get out
of the race. And he is the anti establishment candidate.
So if your anti establishment and the establishment is coming
after you saying dropout or else, but I think you
do double down and I bring on the popcorn. This
(07:21):
is fascinating to watch. You never see main Democrats fighting
out in the open, and this is very in the open.
So if you had asked me, even after this broke,
if he dropped out, I have always maintained that he
just has too big of an ego and too much
hubris to ever actually drop out. I would have maintained
(07:42):
that through Monday. Yesterday I saw a glimmer of like, okay,
maybe he will, and then the Democrats put out that video,
you know, saying he has no place in this decision,
and I went, okay, this is going to get interesting again.
I don't know what he'll do. I don't think anyone does,
including his campaign staff, certainly not establishment Democrats. So it's
(08:03):
going to be really interesting to watch. I guess we've
got sort of a timeline where he's He's said, you know,
we're going to collect responses for the next forty eight
hours from his supporters and see what they say.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
No, I mean, yeah, this guy has stayed in the
race thus far, you know, despite an onslaught of you know,
negative OPO dumps on him. I think the sad thing is, like,
even if he stays in the race, I think the
race is still competitive.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
What do you think.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I think that Susan Collins has been an incredible senator
for Maine and that she trounces him one hundred, one
hundred percent. Like, I don't think he's got a shot,
but I don't think he cares at this point. I
think he the establishment is showing their their hand. They're
(08:55):
showing that all they care about is winning. All they
care about is winning. That's that is very clear, right.
And and what he is, what he cares about, and
what he has advanced is is a people power movement.
And you've got to give credit where credit is due.
That is what he has done. That's what this this
(09:17):
they're trying to do across the country is you know,
get folks fired up so they'll vote for these socialist candidates.
You need an army of supporters to make.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
That happen, and so.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I think that the Democrat establishment doesn't know what to
do with him, and they can't force him, so it's
going to be it's honestly anybody's guests.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
It was interesting to see the Democrat Party of Maine
come out and sort of like publicly call on him
to step down. You know, you think, at least politically,
the more strategic move would be to try to work
behind the scene and you know, to make it happen.
(10:04):
I guess would you make of seeing the video? Do
you think that was a political mistake by the party.
Obviously you know these figures better than I do. But like,
have you ever, I've never I don't think I've seen
anything like that happen before.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, I think it. I think it was a political mistake,
and the Democrats are racking those upright. Last year when
they centured me, that was a dumb move on their part.
I think putting that video out last night was another
dumb move on their part. And it's certainly not gonna
do what they wanted it to do, which was expedite
Grand Platner jumping out of the race. But you know,
(10:43):
you'd think that they would know that, so why intentionally
antagonize the guy? I think that the more they try
to force his hand, the more he's gonna double down.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Quick break. But before we do, I want to talk
to you about something important. Just how easy it's become
for scammers to take your hard earned money today. Fraud
doesn't just happen to careless people. Could be a convincing
phone call, a realistic looking email, or just one wrong
click can be enough, and once the money is gone,
getting it back is often a long, stressful fight if
it comes back at all. Cover On is built to
(11:16):
help with exactly this. It monitors your personal information and
alerts you when something looks suspicious. But now here's the difference.
If a scammer does get through, cover On doesn't just
send you an alert and wish you luck. It provides
financial protection for eligible online fraud, identity theft, and other
digital threats, along with access to experts who can help
guide you through the recovery process. Because when your money
(11:39):
or your identity is on the line, knowing what happened
is only half the battle.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Knowing what to do next matters just as much.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
You've worked way too hard to hand over your savings
to a criminal. Cover On helps make sure that one
mistake doesn't equal financial disaster. Find out more by visiting
their website at www. Dot cover on dot com slash truth,
or you can tap the link in this episode's description.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Start protecting what you've worked so hard for right now.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Head over to cover on dot com slash truth to
learn more about how cover On has your back. Why
do you think Susan Collins she's been able to defy
the odds consistently throughout elections? Now, I think it was
(12:25):
in twenty twenty, Just going off my memory, I believe
she won by eight when Biden won the state by eight,
which is remarkable. You don't really see split ticket voting
like that anymore modern politics. So why do you think
she's able to defy the odds in Maine?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I think Maynors are independent minded, and when you look
at our electorate, we have, you know, basically a third Democrat,
third Republican, third independent, and those manors, whether you're Democrat,
Republican or independent, Maynors want to vote for the person
that they like, that they think best represents them. And
so of course you've got you know, partisan folks on
(13:06):
both sides who are only ever going to vote party.
But then you do have a lot of folks who
are going to split ticket and they're going to vote
for the person they like. And Susan Collins has represented maynors,
not just Republicans, and definitely, you know, not just Democrats,
but mayners as a whole. And you see that because
(13:27):
she is willing to work across the aisle. She is
willing to vote her conscience instead of just party lines,
and that resonates with people. That resonates with how they
vote in the ballot box, and they see that she
is focused on the practical as well. We're very practical people,
and so when you know that, you know you have
(13:48):
a fire station in an existence. Because Susan Collins brought
those funds here by being chair of the Appropriations Community, well,
that's very practical. She is ensuring that our needs are
met here in our state. And so, regardless of party,
folks understand that we're pragmatic, we're independent minded, and Susan
Collins she fits that. I mean, I'll take Grand Platner
(14:11):
as an example. You know, he's he's swearing that if
he gets into office, he is never going to vote
for Trump nominee. Okay, well, Susan Collins has voted for
nominees of presidents of both parties because she's voted based
on the person and if they're suited for the job,
instead of saying I'm going to go in there and
I'm going to be an absolute partisan and cause havoc. Well,
(14:34):
that's not Susan Collins.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Do you think apparently Plantner's campaign commissioned a poll exploring
some of the other candidates against Collins to see who
would do the best against her.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
You know, if Planner.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Does step down and someone else steps up, how tough
a race do you think this is going to look
like for Collins?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
You know, I hadn't heard that it was Platner's campaign
that commissioned that pole, but I do. I do remember
that mc dreams on that list. Patrick Dempsey is a
manor and was on that pole. So I mean, I
guess if you're talking McDreamy versus Susan Collins, I don't know.
I don't know how that race goes. That would be
(15:21):
an interesting one.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I was still young seeing him in ads.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
I mean, it would make for an interesting campaign cycle,
wouldn't it.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
But you know, there.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I think there's a short, short runway here for anyone
to get up to speed. And you know, I hear
I hear Troy Jackson his name thrown around. I hear
Shanna Bellows or secretary of State, and and some others,
And boy, I hear the appeal of those names. Those
(15:56):
two just finished running for governor. They failed in the primary.
Near off Shaw is another name from that primary. I
think that some folks would say that that short, short
runway is a good thing, but that's a very short
time to build up your campaign, get the grassroots moving,
raise the funds, and get your name out there. And
(16:20):
they all have plenty of negatives. I mean, there's already
stories circulating about Troy Jackson check in a water bottle
at one of his one of his caucus female caucus members.
It's a well known story. It's been around Augusta for
a long time. And so all of this stuff will surface.
And it's interesting to watch these national socialist groups trying
(16:44):
to again pick our senate candidate at the Democrat Senate
candidate after they failed so miserably with Graham Platner. Good
luck to them.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
What's also, you know, I mean, this is the party
who claims to care about democracy. I mean, you know,
we heard democracy more times than we can count during
the twenty twenty election and as well as the most
recent presidential election. But yet you see with the Biden situation,
(17:14):
you know, you'd already had a significant amount of you know,
Biden was already the nominee, and the Democrats coronated Kamala Harris,
and then it looks like potentially if Platner drops out,
they're going to do that again.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
So it's like, do they really care about democracy?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Yeah, it's it's been really interesting to watch, and I
think it's similar, of course, but particularly how they might
replace him. Similar but different. I think, you know, the
the Biden situation and folks finally owning up to what
he was. I think we've known all along, and the
Democrats have known all along exactly what grim Platner is.
(17:53):
It's just that they're finally reckoning with I mean it
was similar in that they know he can't win. I mean,
that's the only reason they're looking to get him out
of the race. Now. They don't mind that he's an
alleged rapist, they don't mind that he has a Nazi
tattoo that of course he's known what it was. They
don't mind all of these things that have come up,
(18:14):
but they do mind that they can't win, and so
I think that they're going to lose the folks who
have been part of this grassroots network that has sprung
up if they're not very, very careful. And again I'm
on the other team. I'm working very hard to make
(18:36):
sure that we have Senator Collins reelected because she is
going to serve our state infinitely better than anyone on
their side possibly could. But I think that it's a
strategic error of monumental proportions for their side to discount
this movement.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
What do you think it says about the left and
Democrats in your state that they stood beside Platner through
a laundry list of accusations against them up until the
point of rape, and then also probably more accurately, up
until the point where he started slipping in the polls
(19:18):
against Susan. Like, what if I tell you about the
Democrat Party today?
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I mean, it just speaks to the complete hypocrisy. It's disgusting.
You have someone who has just lied over and over
and over again, and they have demonstrated that they don't care.
They do not care at all whatsoever. They call out
Republicans for the least infraction, and here they've got the
(19:47):
most lawed candidate you could ever possibly have, and they've
had his back through all of it. It is it's
remarkable to see. And I've been discussed sted for months.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
You know, they will, the Democrats will call a Republican
a Nazi for literally any reason under the sun, and
then they have a candidate with an actual Nazi tattoo
and they will excuse it away as he didn't know
for eighteen years.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I don't think that. I don't think you can claim
any kind of moral high ground after proclaiming him as
your candidate, and here in Maine, I mean, frankly, I
hope it hurts them in the election. You've got Hannah Pingrey,
who is the nominee for governor and until very very
recently was joyfully campaigning with Graham Plattner and absolutely he
(20:45):
was our candidate. And that's even through last month's allegations.
You know, all of these Democrats have been back in
Graham Platner, despite the fact that part of Jenny's story
was out and that Lindsay Feiffield had come forward, and
the abject artisan refusal to acknowledge assault because the woman
(21:11):
was Republican is disgusting.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
And then is there anything else you'd like to leave
us with before we go?
Speaker 3 (21:16):
You know, I've been talking about Graham Patner in how
extreme he is for a long time, because I think
that that has often gotten lost in how extreme his
personal life is. I think that we still need to
keep that in mind. There is this agenda across the
country in the Democrat Party. There are there's this extreme
faction that is trying to get Democrat socialists elected. Let's
(21:39):
be honest, get socialists elected who want to destroy our
way of life, who are dangerous to the next two
hundred and fifty years of America. And if we are
not careful, they are building a movement. We should not
discount that. And if you think your average run of
the mill Democrat is dangerous, wait until we've got a
(22:03):
bunch of socialists down in DC who are demanding that
it's their way or the highway. And watch as we
see the America that we hold deer slip away. And
so whether Graham Platner stays in the race or not,
I cannot more strongly say that we have to fight
(22:25):
back and ensure that this socialist wing of the Democrat
Party does not succeed.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I agree, Stay representative of Laura Libby, appreciate you for
joining the show.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Those representative Laura Libby of Maine, Appreciate her for coming
on the show. Appreciate you guys at home for listening
every Tuesday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week.
I want to think John Cassio and my producer for
putting the show together.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Until next time.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show News
Hosts And Creators
Clay Travis
Buck Sexton
Show Links
WebsiteNewsletterPopular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com