Stephen King deletes posts defending Senate candidate accused of rape

Best-selling author Stephen King deleted a pair of social media posts this week after facing a wave of backlash for downplaying a rape allegation against Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner.

Mr. King, a longtime Maine resident and vocal supporter of Democratic causes, posted on X Monday that he hoped Mr. Platner would not drop out of the race, adding, “Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on” — an apparent reference to President Trump. In a follow-up post, Mr. King wrote, “Tell you what — if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ’Let him without sin cast the first stone.’” 

The comments drew swift condemnation online, with critics accusing the horror novelist of minimizing a rape allegation. Commentator Jonah Goldberg mocked the reasoning, writing that King’s logic amounted to forgiving known wrongdoing because other, unproven wrongdoing might exist elsewhere, while Free Press writer Kat Rosenfield suggested Mr. King’s defense had crossed a line the public wouldn’t tolerate.

By Tuesday, facing what one report described as an avalanche of criticism, Mr. King deleted his original post and wrote, “Not defending Grah [sic], Platner. If he committed rape, he should bow out. Just making a comparison.” He later deleted that follow-up post as well, reposting the same message after correcting his misspelling of Mr. Platner’s first name. 

Mr. King’s remarks came just a day after Politico reported that a Maine woman, Jenny Racicot, had accused Mr. Platner of raping her in 2021, when the two were casually dating. In a subsequent interview with CNN, Ms. Racicot said Mr. Platner showed up drunk at her home after she asked him not to come, then forced himself on her despite repeated objections. Asked whether she considered the encounter rape, she said, “By definition? Yes, absolutely.”

Mr. Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer and Marine veteran who won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary in June, has denied the allegation, calling it “troubling, serious and false.” His campaign said in a statement that the accusation was “coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives” and noted it surfaced just a week before Maine’s July 13 deadline for swapping out a nominee.

The allegation triggered a mass exodus of Democratic support for Mr. Platner’s bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, called on Mr. Platner to withdraw immediately, warning the committee would not invest in the race if he stayed on the ballot. Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona also rescinded their endorsements.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont independent and one of Mr. Platner’s most prominent backers, said Tuesday he had recommended Mr. Platner step aside, telling reporters he had spoken with the candidate about “the best path forward for Maine.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another high-profile Platner supporter, also joined the calls for him to leave the race, saying in a statement that “the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race.”

The rape allegation is the most serious in a string of controversies that have dogged Mr. Platner’s campaign, including revelations of a Nazi tattoo he later covered up, sexually explicit texts to other women, and previously reported “unsettling” behavior toward past partners.