The Race to Replace Graham Platner

Episode of Pod Save America · July 10, 2026 · 1 h 24 min

Dan Pfeiffer and Alex Wagner discuss Graham Platner's exit from Maine's Senate race and the Iran war, then Pfeiffer interviews North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper.

Summary

Dan Pfeiffer and guest co-host Alex Wagner opened with Graham Platner's announcement that he would withdraw from the Maine Senate race after Politico reported a rape allegation from a former girlfriend. Both condemned his exit video, which called the allegations false and blamed the political establishment; Wagner called its premise preposterous and Pfeiffer described it as Trumpian. They discussed the Maine Democratic Party's plan to pick a replacement via a convention of roughly 600 county delegates before July 27, and reviewed the field, including Troy Jackson, Nirav Shah, Dan Kleban, Shenna Bellows and others.

Pfeiffer acknowledged that Wagner had been right to be skeptical of Platner, explaining that his own bias toward outsider candidates and his belief in Platner's redemption story led him astray, and that he should have weighed Platner's past posts minimizing rape more heavily. They debated the role of Chuck Schumer and the DSCC in candidate recruitment, whether outsider candidates are inherently riskier, and Wagner's view that Platner's appeal reflected a crisis in how the left answers MAGA-style masculinity. Both argued Democrats can still defeat Susan Collins by refocusing on her.

The hosts then turned to the renewed U.S.-Iran fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, mocking Trump's reference to the "Islamic Republic of Japan" and criticizing the ceasefire agreement as poorly drafted. They derided the administration-linked Freedom Fuel Network stations selling gas at $3.47 in the Philadelphia area, which Wagner called evidence of Trump's socialism, and discussed reports that the Secret Service urged Trump to fly the old Air Force One rather than the Qatari-gifted jet.

In the closing interview, Roy Cooper said his polling lead did not mean the race would not be close, framed his campaign around affordability, and outlined positions on tariffs, data centers paying for their own energy, ICE officer standards, and a stock-trading ban for members of Congress. He attacked opponent Michael Whatley's record as a lobbyist and state party chair, called a recent Supreme Court ruling on party coordinated spending the worst campaign finance decision since Citizens United, and cited his Medicaid expansion deal with a Republican legislature as a model for bipartisanship.

Chapters

1:33
Introduction
Pfeiffer and Wagner preview the episode's topics with Jon Favreau on vacation.
2:06
Platner's withdrawal video
The hosts react to Graham Platner's video denying the allegations and blaming the establishment as he leaves the race.
8:46
Replacement process in Maine
They discuss the Maine Democratic Party's planned delegate convention and the need for public debates or town halls.
12:47
The potential candidates
Clips of Troy Jackson, Nirav Shah and Dan Kleban lead into an assessment of the crowded field and the need for vetting.
20:32
Where Pfeiffer went wrong
Pfeiffer concedes Wagner was right to be skeptical of Platner and explains his misjudgments.
30:21
Schumer and the DSCC
They debate whether the DSCC's intervention in Maine and Michigan backfired compared with its recruiting in other states.
33:56
Lessons, outsiders and masculinity
The hosts reject blanket lessons about outsider candidates and discuss Platner's appeal amid a crisis of progressive masculinity.
39:28
Chances against Susan Collins
Both argue Democrats can still win Maine by focusing relentlessly on Collins and the Supreme Court.
47:15
The Iran war restarts
They discuss renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz and the flawed ceasefire agreement.
52:15
Freedom Fuel gas stations
The hosts mock subsidized $3.47 gas stations in the Philadelphia area as a publicity stunt.
56:21
Air Force One swap
They discuss reports that the Qatari-gifted jet lacked the defensive capabilities of the old Air Force One.
1:00:55
Interview with Roy Cooper
Cooper discusses his North Carolina Senate campaign, affordability, his opponent Michael Whatley, ICE, campaign finance and bipartisanship.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Alex Wagner
Wagner argued that Platner's exit video absurdly implied his accuser was a crisis actor used by the Democratic establishment to push him out.
“I guess we're meant to believe that a rape victim is a crisis actor, and that crisis acting is being used by the Democratic establishment to get Graham Platner out of the race”
Listen from 4:04 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer described Platner's withdrawal video as Trumpian, built on conspiracy theories, denial and self-focus.
“This video is Trumpian in its nature. It is conspiracy theories. It's denial. It's making it entirely about himself”
Listen from 6:27 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Alex Wagner
Wagner called for moderated public debates or town halls among replacement candidates before delegates choose a nominee.
“I would love to see some kind of public format where they're, whether it's debate, town hall, whatever, that's moderated”
Listen from 10:27 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argued the delegate convention, though messy, is the best available process for inclusion and transparency.
“Now, this is probably the best process if you want to involve as many people as possible and have the most transparency”
Listen from 11:27 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Alex Wagner
Wagner worried that Nirav Shah's CDC background would bring COVID-related political baggage.
“but it's extra baggage in these insane and tumultuous times”
Listen from 15:49 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Alex Wagner
Wagner said there was always latent misogyny in how Platner's supporters dismissed Janet Mills.
“I feel like there's like there was always like latent misogyny around it”
Listen from 22:05 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer said his misjudgment of Platner stemmed from a bias toward outsider candidates.
“if I have a bias or you can even say a blind spot in politics, it's for outsider candidates”
Listen from 23:04 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer maintained that although Platner was the wrong choice, he was right that Janet Mills was the wrong candidate.
“Not that Plattner was the right person. Obviously, he was not. But that Janet Mills was the wrong candidate”
Listen from 25:49 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argued the DSCC and Schumer were not wrong everywhere in recruitment but erred in Maine by tipping an active primary.
“it's not that the DSCC and Schumer were wrong in every instance. It's just they were wrong in this one”
Listen from 32:44 · Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Alex Wagner
Wagner cautioned against drawing broad conclusions about outsider candidates from the Platner case.
“Nobody should take a broad lesson about outsiders from the Platner”
Listen from 34:59 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Alex Wagner
Wagner argued Platner's appeal reflected a crisis in how the left responds to MAGA-style masculinity.
“there's a real crisis right now in terms of how the left responds to MAGA style masculinity”
Listen from 36:33 · Masculinity
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argued Democrats should frame the race around a Collins vote empowering Trump to pick Supreme Court justices.
“a vote for her is a vote to let Donald Trump pick two more Supreme Court justices”
Listen from 43:13 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Alex Wagner
Wagner argued the unresolved dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz will keep harming the global economy and Republicans before the midterms.
“that is an unresolved dispute that is going to continue to fuck the global economy and could make life incredibly painful for Republicans heading into the midterms”
Listen from 49:11 · Strait of Hormuz
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argued that anyone who would start the Iran war is incapable of ending it.
“anyone dumb enough to start this war is too dumb to get out of it”
Listen from 51:49 · United States war with Iran
Alex Wagner
Wagner argued the apparently subsidized Freedom Fuel stations show Trump is a socialist.
“like I sort of delight in it because it is further proof that Donald Trump is a socialist”
Listen from 53:58 · Gas prices and inflation
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer said the Freedom Fuel initiative fails even the White House standard of being seen to try.
“There are problems you can't solve. They're too big. Congress won't work. But you want people to see you're trying. This doesn't even qualify as trying”
Listen from 55:31 · Gas prices and inflation
Linked moment · 1:01:46Skip to 1:01:46 using a listen link in the info box.
Roy Cooper
Cooper warned that his polling lead does not mean the North Carolina race won't be close.
“Just because I have a lead in the polls doesn't mean this race isn't going to be very close”
Listen from 1:01:46 · 2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina
Roy Cooper
Cooper proposed that data centers pay for their own energy so other consumers bear no cost.
“they must pay for their own energy other consumers should not have to bear any cost from data centers”
Listen from 1:06:34 · Data centers and electricity prices
Roy Cooper
Cooper attacked Michael Whatley as a former oil and utility lobbyist.
“He was a big oil and utility company lobbyist”
Listen from 1:08:09 · 2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina
Roy Cooper
Cooper said ICE officers should meet the same requirements as other law enforcement officers.
“Officers who work with ICE should have the same requirements that state, local, and federal law enforcement officers should have”
Listen from 1:13:31 · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Roy Cooper
Cooper called the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited party coordinated spending the worst campaign finance decision since Citizens United.
“This is the worst campaign finance Supreme Court decision since Citizens United”
Listen from 1:14:13 · Campaign finance in the United States
Roy Cooper
Cooper said he would back laws banning individual stock trading by members of Congress and senior officials and barring post-service lobbying.
“that prohibits members of Congress and executive, high executive officials from trading individual stocks. I'll support a law that stops allowing people to be lobbyists after they serve in Congress”
Listen from 1:15:25 · Congressional stock trading
Roy Cooper
Cooper cited his success getting a Republican legislature to expand Medicaid as evidence of his ability to work across the aisle.
“finally, got a Republican legislature in a Southern state to expand Medicaid”
Listen from 1:20:06 · Medicaid

People

In the conversation

Dan PfeifferCo-host of Pod Save America, author of the Message Box newsletter, and former White House communications director
Alex WagnerMSNBC host who hosts episodes in the Pod Save America feed
Roy CooperFormer North Carolina governor running for Senate

Discussed

Graham PlatnerPresumptive Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine
Susan CollinsRepublican senator who noted Congress holds the power of the purse
Janet MillsGovernor of Maine who suspended her Senate campaign
Chuck SchumerSenate Democratic leader
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Michael WhatleyFormer RNC chair and Republican Senate nominee in North Carolina
Mark RobinsonFormer North Carolina lieutenant governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate
Abdul El-SayedDemocratic Senate nominee in Michigan
Mallory McMorrowMichigan state senator running for U.S. Senate
Haley StevensU.S. Representative running for Senate in Michigan
Jared KushnerBusinessman and Trump's son-in-law, adviser in the first Trump administration
Steve WitkoffU.S. envoy conducting negotiations with Iran
Sherrod BrownDemocratic Senate candidate in Ohio and former senator
Ro KhannaCalifornia congressman who endorsed Troy Jackson

Topics

Have Republicans Already Blown the Midterms?
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Dan Pfeiffer and Cook Political Report's Amy Walter assess the 2026 midterm landscape two weeks out, covering Senate and House races, polling, Trump, and redistricting.
Choosin' Texas with Bobby Pulido
Pod Save America · Sep 27, 2026 · 1 h 2 min
Live at the Texas Tribune Festival, the Pod Save America hosts assess Texas and national midterm races, Xi Jinping's visit, and interview congressional candidate Bobby Pulido.
The Search for an Exciting Moderate
Pod Save America · Jul 26, 2026 · 1 h 15 min
Jon Favreau and Matt Yglesias debate how a moderate, center-left Democrat could gain attention, win the 2028 presidential primary, and appeal to swing voters.
The Primaries Will Continue Until Morale Improves
Pod Save America · Jul 21, 2026 · 1 h 11 min
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor discuss Trump at the World Cup final, the renewed Iran war, ICE killings, and Democratic primaries in Maine, Wisconsin and Michigan.
The Democratic Party's Civil War
Pod Save America · Jul 19, 2026 · 1 h 6 min
Dan Pfeiffer and Run for Something's Amanda Litman discuss Graham Platner's Maine collapse, DSA's rise, the Michigan Senate primary, AIPAC spending, and down-ballot recruitment.
The Robinson-Twiggs DNA Evidence, and Assassination Culture, with Jack Posobiec, Sean Davis, and Sohrab Ahmari | Ep. 1355
The Megyn Kelly Show · Jul 8, 2026 · 1 h 43 min
Megyn Kelly reviews evidence from Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing with Jack Posobiec, then discusses political violence, Graham Platner's collapse, and Iran with Sean Davis and Sohrab Ahmari.

From the publisher

Graham Platner announces he's ending his Senate campaign, and Maine Democrats scramble to replace him. Dan and Alex Wagner discuss the state of the race, what it'll take to get a new name on the ballot, and why so many (but not Alex) were wrong about Platner. Then, they discuss Trump restarting the war with Iran, the administration's socialist plan to lower gas prices for a select few in Philadelphia, and why Trump is trading in his new Air Force One for the old one. Finally, former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper talks to Dan about his campaign for Senate and what it'll take to flip the Tar Heel State blue for the first time since 2008. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 30, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·News Commentary