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).