Platner’s Senate race exit: Letters to the Editor — July 11, 2026

The Issue: Graham Platner drops out of the Maine Senate race in the wake of fresh sex-abuse accusations.

Graham Platner suspending his bid for the US Senate should be a relief and a warning to all Americans (“Plat out of Maine race,” July 9).

Platner is a cancer that seems to be spreading in the Democratic Party. The label “Democratic Socialism” should be rebranded to “Democratic sociopaths.” One definition of a sociopath is useful here: They often disregard the rights and feelings of others, lack empathy and remorse, and often manipulate or deceive others for personal gain.

Martin Garfinkle

Staten Island

Platner may be a “repugnant dirtbag,” but is he really more repugnant or a bigger dirtbag than the president who brags about grabbing women’s genitals, lies about elections, pardoned Jan. 6 criminals, protects Epstein pedophiles, trashes our allies, praises our enemies, was found liable in the E. Jean Carroll case, misused charitable funds, paid off a porn star and much more?

Matt Dwyer

Naples, Fla.

What has the Democratic Party come to? It was apparent from the outset that Platner was not a decent human being. Yet Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker and Rep. Ro Khanna all endorsed him.

The Democratic Party no longer represents “We the People.” Instead, it is focused on pursuing an agenda that, in my view, would undermine Western civilization as we know it.

Jim Millar

Fitzwilliam, NH

The Post’s editorial chronicling Democrats’ sad trip on the Platner roller-coaster can be cut down to a fragment buried in the middle of the piece: “Democrats have been so wrapped up in their Trump hate, they failed to . . .” Fill in the blank (“Dems’ Moral Bankruptcy,” July 8).

Trump has played them so well that they are continuously on the back foot, so frazzled that they are unable to organize effective opposition to his policies.

Warren Nitti

Edgewater, NJ

This Platner situation is not new. When former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was facing public outcry over 16,000 senior citizens dying, Democrats quickly switched to sexual predator allegations.

The reason is simple: It does less damage to the party, as the focus is on the morality of the individual, rather than the political decisions of a Democrat. Eric Swalwell shared the same fate.

Robert Sanfilippo

N. Bellmore

The Issue: Ex-Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel calling for an end to America’s support of Israel.

Your editorial on Rahm Emanuel confirms that politicians talk way too much, are often wrong and think whatever they say is prescient (“Rahm Emanuel Sells Out Israel,” July 9).

Silence has its place in the public square, but pols feel compelled to contribute to the discourse no​ matter how foolish their message.

Emanuel showed off his ridiculous line of parity on Middle East relations by excoriating Israel on several matters, despite being wrong on all counts.

Rich Klitzberg

Princeton, NJ

Emanuel wants to enhance his electoral chances by joining the chorus of Israel-bashers. My father — a survivor of the Holocaust from a large extended family — would tell him that such pandering won’t work at all.

When the haters go after the Jews, they’re coming for Emanuel, Brad Lander and Bernie Sanders along with the rest of us.

Jack Weinberg

Manhattan

With President Trump at the helm, assisted by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, we don’t need a former Chicago mayor’s advice on foreign relations.

Allen Schwartz

Manhattan

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