Over a month ago, after The New York Times reported Lyndsey Fifield’s allegations of abuse against Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, Fifield took to X to blast The Times for not including allegations of sexual assault made by another woman against Platner that she claimed The Times said would be included. However, on Tuesday, Axios senior contributor and director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, Margaret Talev, claimed on CNN News Central that there is no evidence Democrats had any foreknowledge of the Monday rape allegations made by Jenny Racicot and that her accusations have been a “stunner.”  Host John Berman observed that, “I don't think that there's been a Democrat who's been asked whether they still support Graham Platner in the last 12 hours who said they still do. So, the idea that people coming out and saying that they're not backing him anymore, I think it ceased to be news at this point.”    Axios contributor Margaret Talev tells CNN "I don't think there's any evidence that any of the national Democratic figures, Elizabeth Warren or Ro Khanna, that were talking about— knew about this allegation [against Graham Platner], you know, beforehand. This is just been a… pic.twitter.com/nL4BasJLhO — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 7, 2026   However, he also wondered, “Margaret, and we have about 30 seconds left. Do you think this will have a lasting impact on any of the people who backed Platner in the past?” Talev defended Platner’s supporters, “I mean, it'd probably make them—some of these Democrats more likely to really want to try to find out about someone who was—isn't well vetted first, but I don't think there's any evidence that any of the national Democratic figures, Elizabeth Warren or Ro Khanna, that were talking about— knew about this allegation, you know, beforehand.” On June 3, the Wall Street Journal reported that during a meeting with Platner, Warren claimed that Platner’s marital issues should not be put on the same moral plane as sexual assault allegations. Platner had told Sen. Bernie Sanders no such allegations would be forthcoming. The Times’s article about Fifield was released on June 4, and her X criticisms were posted on June 5. Racicot’s allegations were published on July 6 and she claims the reason she went on the record is because she was upset that Platner’s defenders were using Fifield’s conservative political beliefs to dismiss her allegations even though she herself is more closely aligned with Platner politically. The idea that Warren, et al. could not have seen this coming is not credible. Nevertheless, Talev continued, “This has just been a stunner for the Democratic Party. And I think Jackie's right. They have a very quick window to decide. Is there any way to tap the will of the people in the Democratic Party in Maine, or do they just pick someone and move on?” Whatever Democrats ultimately decide to do, reporters-turned-journalism professors should not be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt on Platner. Perhaps they didn’t know the specifics of Racicot’s allegations, but there were enough clues to indicate that something would come out. To anyone paying attention, Racicot’s allegations were not a “stunner.” Here is a transcript for the July 7 show: CNN News Central 7/7/2026 8:38 AM ET JOHN BERMAN: Again, I don't think that there's been a Democrat who's been asked whether they still support Graham Platner in the last 12 hours who said they still do. So, the idea that people coming out and saying that they're not backing him anymore, I think it ceased to be news at this point. But, Margaret, and we have about 30 seconds left. Do you think this will have a lasting impact on any of the people who backed Platner in the past? MARGARET TALEV: I mean, it'd probably make them—some of these Democrats more likely to really want to try to find out about someone who was—isn't well vetted first, but I don't think there's any evidence that any of the national Democratic figures, Elizabeth Warren or Ro Khanna, that were talking about— knew about this allegation, you know, beforehand. This has just been a stunner for the Democratic Party. And I think Jackie's right. They have a very quick window to decide. Is there any way to tap the will of the people in the Democratic Party in Maine, or do they just pick someone and move on?