Congressman Seth Moulton’s (D-MA) balancing act — between his own reputation for being a moderate democrat and pressure from the party’s new left flank — was on full display after a question about his support for Graham Platner in Maine’s Senate Race ended in a scuffle.
After a reporter asked the Massachusetts Senate hopeful his thoughts on Platner’s race, Moulton responded, “Who are you asking this question?” The camera fell to the ground then, and Fox News’s Cameron Cawthorne claimed that Moulton had knocked it out of his hand.
“You should do a better job of hanging onto your phone,” he said.
.@sethmoulton lashes out and knocks down phone when asked whether he endorses Platner
Video obtained by @foxnewspolitics pic.twitter.com/OSgrOzjdY6
— Cameron Cawthorne (@Cam_Cawthorne) June 24, 2026
Even Democrats who were quick to endorse Platner early in the election cycle have been hesitant to discuss him as report after report has added disturbing color to his checkered past. The most recent revelation came on Monday, when The Daily Wire uncovered a disturbing joke Platner posted on the internet about bestiality, necrophilia, and incest.
That came on the heels of multiple women coming forward and claiming Platner sent sexually explicit messages while married. Platner’s profile on kik — dubbed a “predator’s paradise” because of the ease with which underage users are able to join the app and talk with adults — was also uncovered by The Daily Wire. Even Platner’s “life on the sea” narrative has begun to unravel after he reported income from the business as “other $5,001” on financial disclosures.
Earlier in the month, Democratic leadership convened with Platner to discuss his race against incumbent Susan Collins (R-ME). Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) — who will face Moulton in his state’s September 1 primary — attended the meeting. Markey has served in Congress since 1977 and most recently touted his legislation that proposed a “trans bill of rights.”
Moulton, in contrast, faced backlash from within his own party when he said he did not want his daughters “getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete.”
The current cycle is not Moulton’s first attempt for higher office. In 2019, Moulton launched a Presidential Campaign. “We can’t go too far left or we lose middle America,” he said at the time. But seven years later, Moulton has praised socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his affordability agenda and directly refused to denounce socialism.
Moderate Democrats like Moulton face new opposition heading into the midterms as their base is shifting dramatically to the left. On Tuesday, three Mamdani-backed Socialist candidates swept their respective congressional races in New York City, unseating two incumbent Democrats.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) embraced the shift. “Our message to the oligarchs: bring it on,” he said. “After last nights decisive wins, [we] have a new, strong, bold Democratic party.”
Our message to the oligarchs: bring it on.
After last nights decisive wins, have a new, strong, bold Democratic party. pic.twitter.com/cGqpQozYcn
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) June 24, 2026
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