Platner joins Sanders at Maine rally, calls for political revolution against corporations

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner appeared alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders at a rally in Portland on Monday and echoed several progressive themes while criticizing five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee seeking to unseat Collins in November, spoke at a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally led by Sanders. The event aimed to mobilize progressive activists ahead of the midterm elections. The Portland stop was one of several Sanders made in Maine with Platner and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson.

During the rally, Platner leaned into anti-corporate rhetoric. He told a crowd of cheering progressives they must build a "political revolution" and take back "what is ours."

"We are taking back what is ours. We're going to take it back from the corporations that seek profit, no matter the cost from the billionaires for whom greed is the point, and from corrupt politicians like Susan Collins, corrupt politicians who have sold us out," Platner said.

"It is a system that is the politics of Susan Collins, a politics that turns politicians into millionaires, but tells you to be grateful for crumbs."

Platner echoed Sanders' economic points and accused health insurance executives of "lining their pockets with our blood, sweat, and tears." He also criticized U.S. weapons spending tied to conflicts in Gaza and Iran.

"Our tax dollars can build schools and hospitals in America instead of bombs to drop on them in Gaza and Iran," he said.

Sanders later took the stage and cast Platner's election as a key moment for the progressive movement. "You elect Graham Platner senator, you're going to transform America," Sanders said.

The Vermont senator tied Platner to his tax proposals targeting the ultra-wealthy. "I introduced legislation, which Graham will be by my side in fighting for, which says that we are going to impose a 5% annual wealth tax on 938 billionaires in America," Sanders said.

Sanders introduced the legislation earlier this year. He also portrayed Platner as an ally in battling major tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, warning that a "handful of billionaires" could otherwise control the future of artificial intelligence and robotics.

"Graham understands... we are not going to let a handful of billionaires control the future of this country," Sanders said.