Trump gives farm animal nickname to Maine’s elected Senate Democrat challenger after ‘Nazi’ and abuse flaps

Trump gives farm animal nickname to Maine’s elected Senate Democrat challenger after ‘Nazi’ and abuse flaps Left-wing Democratic oyster farmer rocked by controversy will challenge the Republican incumbent, Sen. Susan Collins - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments President Donald Trump on Wednesday slapped the Maine oysterman who last night won the primary to be Maine’s Democratic nominee for Senate — and seek to oust veteran Sen. Susan Collins, by far the most endangered Republican incumbent — with a new derogatory nickname. The president spoke to reporters in the Oval Office hours after Maine held its primary, with Graham Platner, a favorite of the left, who has come under fire amid allegations from past girlfriends and a furor over his “Totenkopf tattoo — a symbol used by Nazi SS officers during the Holocaust — winning the nomination. “He’s just an outright pig,” Trump said, labeling Platner with a moniker he usually reserves for women who have earned his ire like comedian Rosie O’Donnell or femakle reporters who asked questions he didn’t like. “That's what he reminds me of. I come up with good names for people. I don't want to stick him with that one, although I think pigs would be very upset about it.” Trump also called Platner “a thug.” Platner has faced an onslaught of stories last week that revealed he had exchanged sexually explicit text messages with women shortly after his marriage and a report in The New York Times that alleged he engaged in physically abusive behavior toward an ex-girlfriend. Platner has broadly denied any allegations of abusive behavior. Last year, Platner also came under severe criticism for a skull tattoo that resembles the symbol associated with the Nazi SS, and the same New York Times report a former girlfriend claims he was aware of its provenance, despite his denials of that. Trump also praised Collins, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee. The president and Collins have clashed in the past, most notably when she voted to convict Trump for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021. “She a sane woman,” he said in the Oval Office. Trump was set to sign a a $70 billion funding bill for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. “She's not my best friend at all. These guys are.” Collins also endorsed Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican presidential primary and withheld her endorsement of Trump after the primary ended. Collins also voted against confirming Pete Hegseth to be Defense secretary and the One Big Beautiful Bill last year because of the cuts to Medicaid, though the bill still passed. Despite this, Trump has mostly withheld criticism of Collins unlike he has other Republicans in the Senate who voted to convict him like Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Alaska. “She's a sane woman, and she's a respected person, maybe a little different ideology than me, but this guy is a thug,” Trump said. “He's a fake thug, he's a phony. I made a lot of money picking out phonies, he's a real phony, bad, he's a bad person.” Collins is the sole Republican who represents a state that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024. She shocked many in 2020 when she defeated Democrat Sara Gideon despite the fact Joe Biden won the state. Numerous Democrats passed on challenging Collins this year, instead opting to run for governor. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recruited Gov. Janet Mills to run for the seat. But she ran a half-hearted campaign that failed to generate enough money or attention to compete with Platner and she suspended her campaign. Platner for his part earned the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Last week, he came to Washington to meet with senators. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee put out a statement on Tuesday evening saying it would back Platner. “Susan Collins has never been more vulnerable after she voted with Trump 96 percent of the time, confirmed his far-right judicial nominees, and took millions from special interests while voting to rip health care away from Mainers,” the statement read. “In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments