Rep. Dingell declines to endorse Maine Dem Senate candidate Platner amid rape comments controversy

Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell declined in a Saturday interview to say whether she would support Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner following controversy over his past rape comments, as scrutiny intensifies ahead of the state's primary.

Asked directly by anchor Jessica Dean on CNN’s Newsroom whether Platner is an appropriate person to represent the Democratic Party, Dingell did not give a clear endorsement. She pointed instead to the uncertainty of the race.

"We’re going to have to see what happens in Maine," Dingell said.

Platner has faced backlash after CNN’s KFile uncovered past posts in which he described himself as a "communist," criticized rape victims and used inflammatory rhetoric toward law enforcement. The posts also included controversy surrounding a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, along with deleted posts urging violence.

Addressing those past remarks, Dingell emphasized her personal reaction and the seriousness of the issue, particularly regarding violence against women.

"I was very upset — as a woman who has dealt with domestic violence, grew up in a home, and other sexual violence — very upset by what his previous comments were," Dingell said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Platner's campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Dingell framed the Maine primary within a broader national climate of voter frustration. She suggested that anger toward political leadership is influencing candidate support.

"People are angry. People are upset. People want change in this country," Dingell said.

At the same time, Dingell stressed the stakes of the general election and signaled concern about candidate viability beyond the primary.

"I am very concerned about remembering in all of our elections that we’ve got to win the general elections," Dingell said.

Pressed again on whether she supports Platner, Dingell reiterated her wait-and-see approach while pointing to the outcome of the race.

"We’re going to have to see what happens in November," Dingell said.

The Maine race shifted significantly after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign ahead of the primary. The move focused attention on the remaining candidates and their records.

Dingell also pointed to broader Democratic priorities like blocking President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans from implementing their agenda.

"People want to make sure that there are somebody stopping the president and both houses of Congress, a system of checks and balances," she said.

Later in the interview, Dingell turned to her home state. Michigan's Democratic Senate primary remains competitive with multiple candidates vying for the nomination and that nobody has won it.

Dingell cautioned against escalating intra-party conflict during the primary. She urged a more measured tone among candidates.

"I wish that people would tone down some of their shots at each other," she said.