Cory Booker says Graham Platner has questions to answer amid scandals

Sen. Cory Booker said Sunday he has concerns about the scandals surrounding Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Booker was asked whether the controversies could hurt Democratic chances of winning the seat.

"Yes, I have concerns," Booker said. "That guy has questions to answer, and that's what campaigns are for."

Booker added that Democrats need to win control of the Senate in 2026. He said failure to take the House and Senate would leave an "out-of-control president" in office.

Platner's campaign confirmed to Politico that he exchanged explicit messages with at least six women. The confirmation followed a Wall Street Journal report that said his wife, Amy Gertner, told a campaign aide about the texts after he entered the race.

Gertner posted a five-minute video defending her husband. She said she was angry and disappointed that media outlets were spreading gossip instead of focusing on issues such as health care, education and child care.

Platner has faced earlier controversies, including a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, now covered, and past Reddit posts that minimized sexual assault and made crude remarks about masturbation and a wounded soldier.