Friday’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher brought out the best and worst of the eponymous host. On one hand, Maher reacted to Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s ever-growing list of scandals by claiming he would have thought a Nazi tattoo was a conservative thing and that in the past, sex scandals have only been disqualifying for Democrats. However, in the Overtime segment, he battled with Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy for claiming with no evidence that CBS firing Scott Pelley means 60 Minutes is about to turn into Trump TV. Maher began the Platner conversation by asking Murphy, “Is this tent big enough for this Graham Platner guy? I must say, I don't want to make any judgments, because I'm just learning who he is, and unfortunately, so is he. I mean, this is a new kind of guy, and it is not just in the Democrats, people who, like—if you look at their history, you can find things that make them look very conservative. Like a Nazi tattoo. What I would—in the past—associated with the conservatives. And then there's things like that. He has also flirted with communism, and now he's got a sex scandal. Which in the past has just been something that absolutely made somebody toxic in the Democratic Party, unlike in the Republican Party, where they don't care at all.”   It was the best of Bill Maher and it was the worst of Bill Maher. First, the worst, on Graham Platner "I mean this is a new kind of guy and it is not just in the Democrats, people who, like—if you look at their history, you can find things that make them look very conservative.… pic.twitter.com/LsSLyOUoGU — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 6, 2026   Maher says he’s “just learning,” but last October he made the same “Nazi tattoos are Republican” claim when discussing Platner. He also omits counterexamples of Republican versus Democratic sex scandals such as Roy Moore and Bill Clinton, but at least Maher is talking about Platner, which is more than you can say about Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers. Murphy tried to paint the race between Platner and the Senate’s most liberal Republican as a morally complicated one, “Yeah, this is going to be a complicated race. He is imperfect. He has made a lot of mistakes. He has been pretty clear about it from the outset. He’s built a pretty big movement in Maine because people like his ideas. On the other side, you got Susan Collins, who just last night cast one of the deciding votes to give $70 billion to Trump's secret police.” He also claimed, “I think he is the clear choice there.” Also on the panel was former Obama national security advisor Susan Rice, who bizarrely added, “I remember when a tan suit was a scandal.” What that has to do with anything, nobody ever said. Later, during the Overtime segment, Maher disputed Murphy’s idea that 60 Minutes was trying to appease Trump: But I've seen ones that are not very favorable to the president. That’s what I’m saying. I don't know if I would have noticed any different if I hadn't been reading about it. Also, I just don't think being a 60 Minutes correspondent is that hard. I don't feel like Scott Pelley. I don't feel like Scott Pelley was a national treasure. Companies change hands all the time. I never liked him. Sorry, I just never did. Companies change hands. People bring, people bring in their own people, their new ownership, you know, just because something changes doesn't mean. I feel like we see everything through such a partisan lens. "Oh my God, 60 Minutes has a new cast. So does Saturday Night Live. Murphy tried to double down, “Yeah, but Bill, it's not just, it's not just 60 Minutes, right? I mean, they literally, they took down his chief late night critic. CBS News at 6:30 does sound and feel different. This is not just about 60 Minutes.”   Later, during the Overtime segment, Maher tells Murphy, "I don't know if I would have noticed any different if I hadn't been reading about it. Also, I just don't think being a 60 Minutes correspondent is that hard. I don't feel like Scott Pelley. I don't feel like Scott Pelley… pic.twitter.com/9a4E9kkCiZ — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 6, 2026   Maher was less solid on CBS as a whole but insisted on sticking with 60 Minutes, “But we're just talking about 60 Minutes now. But yes, I agree. He's a danger to media. He's a danger to freedom of speech. But just 60 Minutes. I don't know. I mean, and I'm not gonna make that decision until I see a smoking gun. Like, something like, ‘Oh, wow. You know, now we're, we're, you know, tick, tick, tick. Candace Owens and Alex Jones on 60 Minutes.’ I mean—” Murphy still kept trying, “They’re always going to maintain a veneer of objectivity, right? The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy, don't do it overnight, right? It is methodical that over time you feel like you don't have the space to criticize, and if you are going to put forward the administration's propaganda, you get an elevated seat at the table. So, that doesn't just turn on a dime. That is a project that authoritarians or would-be authoritarians.” Maher concluded by quipping, “Okay, when I, when I see actual evidence of that, I'll be on your side.” Unfortunately, Maher’s concession about the rest of CBS let some crucial statements go unrebutted. The Late Show’s financial struggles have been well documented, but more importantly, if Murphy thinks Tony Dokoupil’s 6:30 newscast is so much different than John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois’s then that says more about them than it does about Dokoupil. It is simply not credible to claim to watch CBS and claim they are paving the road for a Trump-run autocracy. Here is a transcript for the June 5 show: HBO Real Time with Bill Maher 6/5/2026 10:36 PM ET BILL MAHER: Is this tent big enough for this Graham Platner guy? I must say, I don't want to make any judgments, because I'm just learning who he is, and unfortunately, so is he. I mean, this is a new kind of guy, and it is not just in the Democrats, people who, like—if you look at their history, you can find things that make them look very conservative. Like a Nazi tattoo. What I would—in the past—associated with the conservatives. And then there's things like that. He has also flirted with communism, and now he's got a sex scandal. Which in the past has just been something that absolutely made somebody toxic in the Democratic Party, unlike in the Republican Party, where they don't care at all. What about this one? Have you been reading about Mr. Platner and what you think they should do? Because if he wins, they think they will get the Senate, so it is a very key seat. CHRIS MURPHY: Yeah, this is going to be a complicated race. He is imperfect. He has made a lot of mistakes. He has been pretty clear about it from the outset. He’s built a pretty big movement in Maine because people like his ideas. On the other side, you got Susan Collins, who just last night cast one of the deciding votes to give $70 billion to Trump's secret police. That’s a character issue as well. So I think you are seeing more candidates run today that don't have perfectly clean, personal histories. And the question in Maine is going to be if he is a bridge too far or if his ideas— MAHER: Well what do you say? You’re in the Senate. MURPHY: Well, I think he is the clear choice there. MAHER: Do you say, Nazi, schmazi and then texting, schmetxing? And I’m just asking, maybe that's the right answer. MURPHY: Like I said, I think it's a super complicated race. But I think the question is between the incumbent who has enabled Trump's corruption and Graham Platner: very imperfect but who has fought and put his life on the line for the country, which is not something that’s insignificant. MAHER: No, it’s not, and I just think it is a different country. It's a broken country. It is full of broken people and with that information on both sides. And I think people just go, “He's pissed. I get that.” MURPHY: Yeah, and this last set of allegations are serious allegations and he’s going to have to talk about with the people of Maine and they’re ultimately have to make that decision. But that will be their decision to make. MAHER: Okay. Graham Platner, any thoughts? SUSAN RICE: I remember when a tan suit was a scandal. MAHER: I do too. Holding the coffee. Remember that? He had a cup of coffee when he saluted. RICE: It was tea. *** HBO Real Time Overtime 6/5/2026 BILL MAHER: But I've seen ones that are not very favorable to the president. CHRIS MURPHY: Yeah. MAHER: That’s what I’m saying. I don't know if I would have noticed any different if I hadn't been reading about it. Also, I just don't think being a 60 Minutes correspondent is that hard. I don't feel like Scott Pelley. I don't feel like Scott Pelley was a national treasure. Companies change hands all the time. I never liked him. Sorry, I just never did. Companies change hands. People bring, people bring in their own people, their new ownership, you know, just because something changes doesn't mean. I feel like we see everything through such a partisan lens. "Oh my God, 60 Minutes has a new cast. So does Saturday Night Live." MURPHY: Yeah, but Bill, it's not just, it's not just 60 Minutes, right? MAHER: I agree. MURPHY: I mean, they literally, they took down his chief late night critic. CBS News at 6:30 does sound and feel different. This is not just about 60 Minutes. MAHER: Trust me. I feel it too.  MURPHY: Yeah. MAHER: Okay, so I’m part of it. I get it. But we're just talking about 60 Minutes now. But yes, I agree. He's a danger to media. He's a danger to freedom of speech. But just 60 Minutes. I don't know. I mean, and I'm not gonna make that decision until I see a smoking gun. Like, something like, “Oh, wow. You know, now we're, we're, you know, tick, tick, tick. Candace Owens and Alex Jones on 60 Minutes.” I mean— MURPHY: Yeah, but they, but they're, they're always going to maintain a veneer of objectivity, right? The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy, don't do it overnight, right? It is methodical that over time you feel like you don't have the space to criticize, and if you are going to put forward the administration's propaganda, you get an elevated seat at the table. So, that doesn't just turn on a dime. That is a project that authoritarians or would-be authoritarians. MAHER: Okay, when I, when I see actual evidence of that, I'll be on your side.

MS NOW host Jonathan Capehart joined Friday’s PBS News Hour to discuss the abuse allegations made by Lyndsey Fifield against far-left Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner. When asked if Platner should drop out of the race, Capehart eventually said no because it is unfair to hold anyone running for office to any moral standard because Donald Trump is currently the president. Thankfully, The Atlantic staff writer David Brooks was not his usual amenable self and countered that if Democrats vote for Platner then he doesn't want to hear any more denunciations of Trump. After recapping Fifield’s accusations and Platner’s denials, host Amna Nawaz asked Capehart, “Jonathan, this is a candidate who has now had to explain away a Nazi tattoo, sexting other women early in his marriage, and now this. He's not dropping out of the race, should he?”   After being asked if Graham Platner should drop out of Maine's Senate race, Jonathan Capehart spends several words not answering the question before basically saying no, "I look at Platner through the prism of where we are in terms of the Trump administration and the Trump world,… pic.twitter.com/GN69uW2Nik — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 6, 2026   Initially, Capehart spent several words not answering the question. Eventually, he did get around to declaring, “I look at Platner through the prism of where we are in terms of the Trump administration and the Trump world, given who Trump is, given the allegations against the president, given the way that lots and lots of people in the Republican Party just turned a blind eye and decided, we still want to vote for this guy.” He closed with a warning, “The one last thing that everyone in Maine has to worry about is Senator Susan Collins. I mean, Democrats really want that seat, but Senator Collins has shown over multiple campaigns that, one, she runs like she's losing, and then, on Election Day, she outperforms the polls.” Nawaz then turned to Brooks, “David, I should also note here, because the woman, Lyndsey Fifield, we mentioned has worked for Republican and conservative campaigns and issues in the past, some people are dismissing this as politically motivated. How are you looking at all this?” Brooks wasn’t having it and added some more Platner scandals to the conversation, “The guy is a moral degenerate. The abuse of women, the sexting, the Nazi tattoo, I don't even need to say anything beyond his Reddit posts, which are not in the past, by the way. He did that for a long time, abusing rape — people who might have been raped, diminishing rape in the military, insulting fellow military officers, calling himself a communist.” He added, “It's just — it's a pathetic empty guy who postures in a way that's kind of repulsive. There are 330 million Americans, and there are 100 senators. We can't have a decent human being in those 100? Like, we have got to settle for this?”   Next, host Amna Nawaz asks David Brooks, "I should also note here, because the woman, Lyndsey Fifield, we mentioned has worked for Republican and conservative campaigns and issues in the past, some people are dismissing this as politically motivated. How are you looking at all… pic.twitter.com/phywgIwG6i — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 6, 2026   Brooks also dreaded, “Democrats are supporting Platner for the same reason the Trump people are supporting Trump. It's because 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 years ago, we sort of privatized morality. We told people we're not going to teach morality in schools. We're going to — you — it's up to you to come up with your own values.” Describing his criteria for electing a senator, Brooks elaborated, “First, is the person we're electing to a public office a person of basic integrity? And, second, do I agree with them? But if you haven't — if you have gotten rid of the first criteria, then you have weakened your democracy. And Republicans clearly did that with Trump. And now Democrats really — if they side with Platner, I don't want to hear too much about Trump in the future and his moral degeneracy.” Nawaz then turned back to Capehart, “Jonathan, to that point, I guess, it is absolutely, ultimately up to the people of Maine, right? They will vote and they will decide and have their voice. We're old enough to remember congressional Democrats pushing Al Franken out of office. Right? So have the standards changed over time, but also based on how close they are to the election process?” Capehart alleged they had while absurdly claiming he agreed with Brooks, “Yes, I think standards have changed a little bit. And, you know, David's moral indignation over Platner is something that I share. But I'm also looking at the fact that, well, we do have Donald Trump in the White House and that, yeah, moral degeneracy is coming right from the top.”   Nawaz then turns back to Capehart, "Jonathan, to that point, I guess, it is absolutely, ultimately up to the people of Maine, right? They will vote and they will decide and have their voice. We're old enough to remember congressional Democrats pushing Al Franken out of office."… pic.twitter.com/dELAOVucIF— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 6, 2026   He concluded by stating, “And, to David's point, there is a cost to that if he does win. If he doesn't win, it's going to be very painful for Democrats and, in the end, painful for the country, from the Democratic perspective, because they're hoping that seat puts them — helps to put them in the majority.” Nawaz and Capehart want to keep talking about Trump, but you could always look further back in history. Before Trump there was Democrats’ defense of Bill Clinton. Still, Franken was replaced by another Democrat, but it was not that long ago that there was a liberal Democratic senator from dark red Alabama because the GOP candidate was also an alleged sexual predator. Meanwhile, Susan Collins is the most liberal Republican senator, the kind of Republican liberals say they want, but Capehart wants the seat because he wants Democrats to have power, and it really is that simple. Here is a transcript for the June 5 show: PBS News Hour 6/5/2026 7:27 PM ET AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, this is a candidate who has now had to explain away a Nazi tattoo, sexting other women early in his marriage, and now this. He's not dropping out of the race, should he? JONATHAN CAPEHART: You know, I think there's some Democrats in the Senate in particular who would love for him to step aside. There's a story in The Washington Post today about how he'd been telling folks, Democrats, don't worry — when the Nazi tattoo thing came out, don't worry, there are no other skeletons in the closet. And yet this past week, we have seen two big skeletons come out.  The fact that Governor Mills only suspended her campaign, did not drop out, and telling people at least twice now, “Hey, I'm still on the ballot,” signaling maybe could more things be coming, and also signaling to Democrats, “Hey, if something does happen with Platner and he has to get out, I'm still here.” But the issue here is, it's not going to be congressional — it's not going to be congressional Democrats, national Democrats who are going to tell Platner to get out of the race. Folks in Maine are still behind him. Some of the interviews that we have had on MS NOW, you have had folk — Mainers saying, he's not perfect, he's not this, he's not that, but we need a change. And so that's the one thing he has going for him. And, again, I look at Platner through the prism of where we are in terms of the Trump administration and the Trump world, given who Trump is, given the allegations against the president, given the way that lots and lots of people in the Republican Party just turned a blind eye and decided, we still want to vote for this guy. And so I think there might be — there are a lot of Mainers who are thinking the same thing, that he is their guy. But the one last thing that everyone in Maine has to worry about is Senator Susan Collins. I mean, Democrats really want that seat, but Senator Collins has shown over multiple campaigns that, one, she runs like she's losing, and then, on Election Day, she outperforms the polls. NAWAZ: David, I should also note here, because the woman, Lyndsey Fifield, we mentioned has worked for Republican and conservative campaigns and issues in the past, some people are dismissing this as politically motivated. How are you looking at all this? DAVID BROOKS The guy is a moral degenerate. The abuse of women, the sexting, the Nazi tattoo, I don't even need to say anything beyond his Reddit posts, which are not in the past, by the way. He did that for a long time, abusing rape — people who might have been raped, diminishing rape in the military, insulting fellow military officers, calling himself a communist. It's just — it's a pathetic empty guy who postures in a way that's kind of repulsive. There are 330 million Americans, and there are 100 senators. We can't have a decent human being in those 100? Like, we have got to settle for this? You know, I just think the people — the Democrats are supporting Platner for the same reason the Trump people are supporting Trump. It's because 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 years ago, we sort of privatized morality. We told people we're not going to teach morality in schools. We're going to — you — it's up to you to come up with your own values. And the problem when you do that is that unless your name is Aristotle you probably can't come up with your own moral philosophy. And so what happens, you have a lot of people in this country, Republicans and Democrats, who are good people, but they're morally inarticulate. They're morally undeveloped. They haven't developed the criteria to even think about, what is my role here? What is his role? How — what is excellence to find in this role? What is moral excellence as a journalist, as a teacher, as a senator? And we're going to make decisions on a two-stage basis? First, is the person we're electing to a public office a person of basic integrity? And, second, do I agree with them? But if you haven't — if you have gotten rid of the first criteria, then you have weakened your democracy. And Republicans clearly did that with Trump. And now Democrats really — if they side with Platner, I don't want to hear too much about Trump in the future and his moral degeneracy. NAWAZ: Jonathan, to that point, I guess, it is absolutely, ultimately up to the people of Maine, right? They will vote and they will decide and have their voice. We're old enough to remember congressional Democrats pushing Al Franken out of office. CAPEHART: Yeah. NAWAZ: Right? So have the standards changed over time, but also based on how close they are to the election process? CAPEHART: Yes, I think standards have changed a little bit. And, you know, David's moral indignation over Platner is something that I share. But I'm also looking at the fact that, well, we do have Donald Trump in the White House and that, yeah, moral degeneracy is coming right from the top. And I'm looking at this, again, through the prism of Democrats, particularly Mainers. I don’t want to put all Democrats saying that they're supporting Platner, but the folks in Maine have clearly decided, if you look at the latest polling, that they right now don't care about his past, they just want to win the seat. And, to David's point, there is a cost to that if he does win. If he doesn't win, it's going to be very painful for Democrats and, in the end, painful for the country, from the Democratic perspective, because they're hoping that seat puts them — helps to put them in the majority.

No matter how one may feel about President Trump and the war with Iran, an objective observer should easily be able to distinguish between the good and evil involved in the conflict. Additionally someone, who, by their current or former position, should be aware of our recent history, should recognize the differences between this relatively short-lived conflict and previous longer wars that the U.S. has been involved in. But Thursday, on CNN's News Central, host Brianna Keiler and her guest tossed objectivity and awareness right out the window. Keiler began the segment by pointing out that the terrorist group Hezbollah, has rejected the cease fire agreed to by Israel and Lebanon, and that while President Trump says a deal with Iran could come as early as this weekend, Iran's Foreign Minister says no formal negotiations are currently underway. She then welcomed in former Defense Secretary and Former CIA Director during the Obama administration, Leon Panetta, who quickly equated the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran's regime to Trump and his administration: I think the bottom line, Brianna, is you don't know who to trust right now with regards to these negotiations. There's a hard line regime on the other side. I don't think you can trust what a hard line regime says. But at the same time, I'm not sure that the President is very credible either. He's been saying for a long time that within a few days, we were going to have an agreement. Now he's saying it's going to happen on the weekend.... We don't we don't know who we're negotiating with in Iran. We're not quite sure who's doing the negotiating for the United States....These discussions are stuck. Cease fires are not holding. I do not see this going very well at all.     Keiler then attempted to get Panetta to weigh in on differences between the U.S. and Israel, and how that may be effecting prospects for an agreement with Iran, but after glossing over that issue, Panetta went right back after Trump and invoked the Vietnam War: PANETTA: I think what you're seeing is that, this war is very much turning into Trump's Vietnam. In Vietnam, we negotiated, but in the end, the North Vietnamese basically, took total control. We were lucky to get our forces out. I think we're heading in the same direction with this war. KEILER: You are describing a grave mistake that ends in a quagmire then, is that right?     A three month war is hardly in the same category as the 20-year wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan, which are commonly referred to by the term quagmire. Panetta seemed to be on board, but quickly strayed away from the Vietnam analogy, and back to the nuts and bolts of the present conflict: PANETTA: Exactly, exactly. In the end, as long as we have a hard line regime in Iran, that cannot be trusted, whatever you work out, for example, on the Strait of Hormuz, is going to be temporary at best because Iran remains in control of the Straits of Hormuz. And if you're trying to work out some kind of nuclear agreement based on the word of the hard line regime, they cannot be trusted.... I don't see any progress being made on trying to ultimately end this war, and that's what's of concern. But Keiler seemed obsessed on furthering the Vietnam analogy, and pressed Panetta to, "point to the specific time or series of events that has you thinking this is turning in to, as you put it, Trump's Vietnam": PANETTA: In Vietnam, we never got a straight story from the administration as to what was happening in Vietnam, and I'm not sure we're getting a straight story right now from this administration as to what's happening in negotiations with Iran. Secondly, there was a series of negotiations. We were able to kind of resolve some issues. We were able to get our forces out. But in the end, North Vietnam won that war. And what I sense here is that no matter what we try to negotiate with a hard line regime in Iran, they're going to be in control of the Strait of Hormuz. And they are going to do everything they can to try to continue enrichment so that ultimately, they can develop a nuclear weapon....Because in the end, it is a hard line regime that controls Iran, and we haven't changed that.     Trump's Vietnam, a quagmire, don't know who to trust. Left wing media bias in full force. After all, this is CNN.

Friday’s CBS Mornings was the first major broadcast network flagship newscast to mention the allegations laid out by ex-girlfriends of Maine Democrat senatorial candidate Graham Platner with nothing on ABC or NBC, and all three networks skipping it Thursday night. By Friday night, however, ABC’s World News Tonight covered the disturbing claims and the CBS Evening News led off with them. This left NBC’s newscasts Today and Nightly News as still covering up any mention of this new series of claims that could derail their side’s attempts to take Congress in November. Of course, none of them could bring up the fact that The New York Times – which published the long-rumored piece – engaged in a catch-and-kill operation against Lyndsey Fifield, the ex-girlfriend with the most graphic allegations the paper actually ran (while others she was made aware of by Times journalists were left out). “Turning now to the closely watched Senate race that could decide control of the Senate. Growing questions about main Democratic candidate Graham Platner after reports of several women coming forward with disturbing allegations. Platner now responding,” said Saturday anchor Whit Johnson, filling in for David Muir. Senior White House correspondent Selina Wang told ABC viewers for the first time that “oyster farmer” Platner has been “battling a firestorm of controversy” and he’s been trying to mount a campaign to defeat Republican Susan Collins, but his “past” has been “coming back to haunt him.” Notably, the “oyster farmer” part in of itself is, at best, half-true. Over 24 hours after The New York Times story on Graham Platner came out, ABC News finally covered it on one of their major newscasts, Friday's 'World News Tonight.'@SelinaWangTV said "oyster farmer" Platner has been "battling a firestorm of controversy" as his "past [is] now… pic.twitter.com/c46sPumNOe — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 6, 2026 Listening to and then reading it, you get the sense ABC feels bad for him! Wang continued: “First, a series of sexist Reddit posts now deleted. Then, reports he exchanged sexual text messages with at least six women shortly after he was married in 2023. Platner’s wife Amy standing by him.” After she falsely claimed The Times story came out “overnight” (when it dropped Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern), she all-too-briefly summarized what The Times chose to publish about Fifield plus Platner’s denials (click “expand”): WANG: Overnight, The New York Times reporting several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends describe “unsettling behavior.” One claiming Platner regularly grabbed her by the shoulders, sometimes hard enough to leave marks. And, on one occasion, yanked her out of a cab by her wrist. She said during one argument, Platner “twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side so she couldn’t get out.” SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): The allegations in the latest story are troubling and I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer. WANG: Platner fiercely denies any violence but admits to mistakes in his past, speaking with ABC affiliate WMTW. GRAHAM PLATNER: I’m very happy to talk about incredibly uncomfortable things in my life, but when things come along that are just made up or lies, I’m very much going to push back against those. It was here she brought up the Nazi tattoo, which she downplayed by saying it was just “a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol” and that “Platner insists he only recently became aware of the Nazi connection.” Wang ignored one portion of Fifield’s story The Times did run, which was her texts with him and recollections of him openly admitting he knew its origins. The pity party came back, but this time, it was for her fellow liberals (click “expand”): WANG: It all puts national Democrats in quite a bind, winning Maine is crucial in their effort to retake the Senate. Senator Bernie Sanders standing by Platner. SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) [on CNN, 06/02/26]: I’m sure he’s not a saint. And by the way, let’s not forget he has acknowledged – this guy served four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has acknowledged that he came back with PTSD. WANG: But Senator Elissa Slantkin, exasperated. SENATOR ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI) [on MS NOW, 06/05/26]: I look forward to the day where I am not answering every single week a question about bad behavior by another dude. I – I just – I’m looking forward to that day. Over on the CBS Evening News, anchor Tony Dokoupil offered a framing of events based on Platner’s terms: “Graham Platner, if you don’t know, is an oyster farmer and the centerpiece of the Democrats’ plans to retake the U.S. Senate. He is also a changed man, he says, full of regret about his past. The trouble is that past keeps coming up.” There’s that sympathy play, again! Friday's 'CBS Evneing News' led off with Maine Democrat Graham Platner with @CHueyBurns returning after having the first network newscast story on Friday's 'CBS Mornings' Here was how Tony Dokoupil set it all up: "Graham Platner, if you don’t know, is an oyster farmer and the… pic.twitter.com/LQsu9ZLDIt — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 6, 2026 But because Dokoupil and CBS have covered it both times Friday as well as his pivot below, one could at least grant partial credit for taking this story seriously: This week, The New York Times reported that three women who had been romantically involved with Platner described the relationship as toxic and detailed behavior they found unsettling and at times emotionally wrenching. And while Platner has denied anything physical, that follows another report about text messages the women not his wife appeared, and still earlier, revelations about drugs, drinking, and tattoo getting. That’s all needed explaining. Congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns was back on the case and rehashed portions of her story from the AM, down to her characterization of the Nazi tattoo as “widely recognized as a Nazi symbol.” Here, though, she noted “Fifield told The New York Times he did know” what it was. Just like her stories last week about his sexting scandal, an updated version came with sound from a few Maine voters. In both cases here, they implied they’d continue to support him. On Democratic Party reaction, she said he’s “facing criticism within his own party” like from Senator John Fetterman (PA) while “other high-profile senators like Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer are standing by Platner.” Full disclosure: I’ve been friendly with Fifield for many years. While I wouldn’t say we’re friends or communicate regularly, I can state unequivocally she has been a woman of high character. To see the relevant transcripts from June 5, click here (for ABC) and here (for CBS).

Thursday’s PBS News Hour kept up its desperate rear-guard action fight against the Trump administration’s tactics in deporting illegal immigrants, so it was emotional and delighted to find a change of heart in a “deeply conservative” Montana town that didn’t turn out to be full of hate-filled rubes after all. The online headline: “ICE arrest in a rural Montana town prompts a conservative community to take action.” PBS didn’t issue headlines like “liberal Minneapolis fights ICE” earlier this year. Co-anchor Amna Nawaz declared: In a northeastern corner of Montana sits the small town of Froid. Rural and deeply conservative, it backed President Trump during every one of his White House runs. But, earlier this year, when federal immigration agents detained one of the town's longtime residents, this tight-knit community pushed back. Here's Montana PBS's Matt Standal. PBS News Hour anchor Amna Nawaz: "Rural and deeply conservative, [Froid, Montana] backed President Trump during every one of his White House runs. But...when federal immigration agents detained one of the town's longtime residents, this tight-knit community pushed back." pic.twitter.com/9nEspDw3Vg — Clay Waters