Hunter Biden has weighed in on Maine’s Democratic Senate race during a podcast with Gavin Newsom on Friday, June 12, defending nominee Graham Platner against criticism of his personal background.
According to Hunter Biden, many politicians and even ordinary Americans have dirty phones or, rather, dirty phone content. He says it would be too harsh to judge Platner based entirely on his phone.
Hunter Biden’s Argument Against Digital Scrutiny
“I always say to people: show me your phone. Give me access to your iCloud. Let’s go through it and pull everything we can find that’s inappropriate,” Biden said in the clip.
“And if that’s the standard by which we’re going to judge people, particularly people in elected office, then I don’t think we’re going to have many people in elected office.”
Platner, a 41-year-old Marine veteran and oyster farmer, won the Democratic primary this week with strong support.
He now faces longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. But his path to the nomination came with plenty of baggage, prompting Democrats in Maine and beyond to debate whether he can win a tough general election.
Why Platner’s Personal History Became a Campaign Issue
The controversies he faced include old Reddit posts with slurs, a tattoo from 2007 linked to Nazi imagery that Platner says he didn’t understand at the time, and more recent reports about explicit texts he sent to other women early in his marriage.
Former girlfriends have also raised questions about his behavior during past relationships.
Platner has tied much of his past conduct to struggles with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his military service and has said he has grown since those days.
Biden Sees the Bigger Picture
“I have not heard anything, in any way, that would lead me to believe he is an abusive, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, or racist person,” Biden said.
He then pointed to Platner’s policy views: support for free health care, a need to radically change politics, and the idea that working people are getting ”screwed.”
The remarks come as some Democrats worry privately that Platner’s personal scandals could drag down the ticket or make it easier for Collins to hold her seat.
Maine uses ranked-choice voting, and Collins has a long record of appealing to moderates in the state.
Platner ran as an outsider, emphasizing economic populism and criticism of elites. He has tried to describe the scrutiny as politically motivated attacks meant to distract from his message.
At a recent rally, he told supporters that Maine had his back through past revelations and would continue to do so.
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The tattoo issue drew particular attention during the primary. Reports linked the skull design to Nazi SS symbolism.
Platner has denied knowing its origins when he got it and said he covered it up once he learned of them. Old social media posts also surfaced with language that critics deemed offensive.
More recent stories involved allegations from ex-girlfriends about volatile behavior. A former campaign staffer went public with concerns about his fitness for office.
Platner has denied claims of physical roughness and called some accusations false and politically driven.
Despite the noise, Platner cleared the primary field and moved on with a solid win. Some polls before the latest scandals showed him competitive with Collins, though it is unclear how the full picture affects voters in the fall.
Hunter Biden sees Platner as exactly the kind of fighter the party needs to take on entrenched interests. Other Dems view his personal record as too risky for a seat that could matter in a narrowly divided Senate.
Hunter Biden has had his own complicated history in the conversation. His laptop and past legal troubles made him a frequent target during his father’s presidency.
He is of the view that digging through someone’s private digital life sets a dangerous standard, and that many elected leaders would go home if that were used as a litmus test.
Republicans are now pointing to Platner’s issues as evidence that Democrats are willing to overlook grave red flags. Trump has called Platner a thug and has strongly backed Collins.
Meanwhile, Platner is moving forward with his campaign. He recently released an ad attacking Washington elites that featured imagery tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
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