ME-SEN: Platner sat for lengthy interview with antisemitic conspiracy theorist, said he was 'longtime fan' of his show

[RandySF]

Weeks before Graham Platner promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theorist in a now-deleted social media post on Thursday, the controversial Maine Senate candidate appeared on a popular YouTube show whose host has spread specious claims about Jews and Israel.

Platner faced blowback this week for boosting a social media comment about a looming war with Iran by Stew Peters, a neo-Nazi influencer who has frequently espoused antisemitic tropes and engaged in Holocaust denial. Platner’s team said the post was made in error and “immediately” removed it after learning it elevated a “despicable account.”

In late January, however, Platner sat for a lengthy online interview with Nate Cornacchia, a retired Green Beret who has also promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories. Near the end of their hour-long conversation, Platner, a fellow military veteran, called himself “a longtime fan” of Cornacchia’s YouTube channel, “Valhalla VFT,” and said it was “an absolute pleasure being” on the show.

Cornacchia, whose show claims nearly 500,000 YouTube subscribers, has in recent months helped stoke a burgeoning far-right conspiracy theory alleging that Israel was involved in the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/platner-sat-lengthy-interview-antisemitic-075439570.html

[SSJVegeta]

1. It would be nice if there were more candidates in that race

[RandySF]

3. True, but there's two.

The governor, or the guy who’s still drawn to antisemites.

[SSJVegeta]

5. I mean. Itd be nice if neither of them were drawn to anti semites tbh

But alas there is only one that fits that description so far and she's... losing?

[RandySF]

7. The primary's not until June.

[SSJVegeta]

8. Which gives her some time to catch up, but...

It isn't comforting that the more this guy is confirmed to be nazi-curious (if not a straight up nazi), he seems to gain more ground.

[RandySF]

10. He might be attracting Trump voters who don't like Collin's.

[SSJVegeta]

13. I think America mignt have a nazi problem.

[RandySF]

15. We've had one since the 1930's.

Last edited Tue Mar 3, 2026, 07:11 AM - Edit history (1)

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[SSJVegeta]

29. ...and it's only gotten worse

[Celerity]

27. Mills, who was Schumer's personal choice, is unfortunately a pretty weak candidate to defeat Platner on multiple points.

If a person is, at the end of the day, a Never-Platner Dem primary voter, they surely must be very frustrated that the only other option has come down to the far from inspiring moderate Mills.

Mills will be 85yo at the end of her first term, and she would be the oldest-ever 'first time elected' US Senator in US history should she win, and that, much to the dislike of some here on DU, is absolutely having an impact.

She also has multiple problematic stances that definitely hurt her in a Democratic primary and likely in the general as well, should she advance to it.

For instance she is pro filibuster, she is anti-decriminalisation for small personal use amounts of drugs, she actively opposes red-flag laws for guns (despite her opposition, voters approved a red-flag law in November 2025), she has vetoed collective bargaining rights (so she is anti-union to a degree, and the unions are so far endorsing Platner), vetoed wealth taxes, vetoed protections for renters, and vetoed some tribal sovereignty laws, etc. She also polls worse (atm) against Collins than Platner.

Platner himself has some real problems (as relentlessly pointed out on DU by some) that Collins and the RW dark money will no doubt drop tens of millions of dollars to hammer him with in the general should he win the Dem primary.

It is a shame, IMHO, that the Maine Dems could not recruit a better candidate than these two. They had one (again IMHO), in Jordan Wood, but he dropped out to run for the US House in ME-2 when Jared Golden announced he was not running for re-election.

[hatrack]

33. So, a choice between an aging elephant in donkey drag drug warrior, or Herr Totenkopf . . . .

At least so far.

[Celerity]

34. The candidate filing deadline for the primary is in 13 days, on March 16, by 5 p.m. (because the 15th is on a Sunday)

https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/2026-candidate-filing-deadlines



https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/21-a/title21-Asec335.html



Platner qualifies for Maine Democratic Senate primary

20 views
3 Mar 2026

The deadline for all candidates to qualify for the June 9 primary is March 16.

[Hassler]

2. Thanks, Maine for another Loserman

[Quiet Em]

4. I have seen strong disapproval of this guy from the left, the center and the right

Who, exactly, is pushing this guy?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gallego-maine-senate-endorsement-draws-005003758.html

[SSJVegeta]

6. Last poll I saw showed him ahead by like 35% or something crazy

Its almost hard to not see him win at this point

[RandySF]

9. Let's see where they are in a couple months

and more people are thinking about it.

[Quiet Em]

12. Exactly.

That primary isn't until June.

The push for this guy is bizarre.

[Quiet Em]

11. The weighting in that poll was a headscratcher.

Made no sense.

[SSJVegeta]

14. I just want people to win who cannot be mistaken in any way for nazis

...is it that too much to ask?!

[Quiet Em]

16. lol, of course not.

And nobody is looking for that. The whole damn thing is strange. We can all read the room. Nobody wants Platner in the Senate.

[RandySF]

17. Are we sure that woud be a mistake?

1. Wore a Nazi tattoo.
2. Posted numerous misogynistic and homophobic comments on social media.
3. Appeared on an antisemite's Youtube channel in January.
4. Reposted a Nazi's Twitter post last week.

How does he keep making these "blunders" after going to the trouble of deleting all those posts in October? He's either incredibly stupid and he really believes that garbage.

[sarisataka]

19. Honestly I think some would be more concerned

if he accepted donations from AIPAC...

[RandySF]

20. I want to believe that we are intelligent enough to

resist undue influence of other governments and speak out against bigotry at the same time.

[sarisataka]

25. I would like to believe that is the case but reality seems otherwise

He has received several prominent endorsements despite his "mistakes" and per the article in post 23:

The dueling endorsements for Platner and Mills are “emblematic of the divisions we’re really seeing nationwide among Democrats,” said Mark Brewer, a professor and chair of the political science department at the University of Maine. He said some factions of the party are willing to take risks on a candidate like Platner in the current unsettled political environment.

“Platner is definitely the insurgent candidate. His supporters are not only willing to support that kind of unconventional candidate, but willing to embrace that kind of unconventional candidate,” he said.

{emphasis added}

[PeaceWave]

21. That made me laugh...

[SSJVegeta]

30. Same thing imho

The difference is whether the genocide is actively going on

[W_HAMILTON]

18. Pollsters.

[flvegan]

22. I get real "wolf in democrat's clothing" vibes from this guy. n/t

[eShirl]

23. yet Senator Ruben Gallego just endorsed him

https://apnews.com/article/maine-platner-senate-gallego-schumer-b64a7a4b48b76898662c2af91521520c

"The backing follows endorsements from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, another Democrat."

[RandySF]

24. I'm trying to figure that one out.

[SSJVegeta]

31. Bernie's judgement isnt what it used to be

He also endorsed fetterman...

[JI7]

26. This is what progressives are into

[lostincalifornia]

28. There is something not right about him.

[mvd]

32. I agree

I was fooled a couple times before (Fetterman and Kucinich) and feel those kind of vibes from him.

Not the biggest Mills fan, but I feel she’s the better bet here.