The end of Graham Platner; DSA candidate invokes Taylor Swift to combat women problem

Summary

---

10 Minute Drill — July 7, 2026

"The end of Graham Platner; DSA candidate invokes Taylor Swift to combat women problem"

Host: Matt Whitlock

---

Episode Overview

In this fast-paced 10-minute update, Matt Whitlock dives into two explosive political stories:

1. The implosion of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner following a major sexual assault allegation.
2. The latest controversies and strategies surrounding the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), with special attention to their perceived "women problem" and one candidate’s awkward Taylor Swift-themed outreach.

Mixed into the rundown: critical takes on left-leaning media, campaign mistakes, and a few choice moments from The View's Fourth of July panel.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Graham Platner’s Political Collapse

[00:23 – 06:50]

• Bombshell Report:
  Politico breaks an exclusive: Jenny Racicot, an ex-girlfriend, accuses Graham Platner of a 2021 sexual assault. Racicot, a lifelong Democrat who had been previously interviewed by the NYT, says she opted to speak out after seeing partisan backlash to earlier allegations.

• Key Details:

  • Platner allegedly let himself in, drunk, to Racicot's unlocked house after she told him not to come over.
  • According to Racicot, "He got on top of her and kept grabbing her... while she repeatedly told him to stop and that she wasn't interested." (Matt Whitlock summarizing, [01:35])
  • She details the incident to therapists and friends, who corroborate for Politico.

• Campaign Response:

  • Platner campaign dismisses allegations as "coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives."
    • “Once they use the phrase coached and coordinated, there is essentially a dog whistle to their defenders to say attack this person’s credibility.” (Whitlock, [02:50])
  • Whitlock lambasts the campaign's response as “the worst campaign I have ever seen in my life.” ([02:20])

• Political Fallout:

  • Platner expected to drop out before upcoming candidate deadline, under pressure from Democrats to vacate the race in order to salvage a top Senate target.
  • Whitlock notes Republican strategy would be to wait, further suggesting these attacks are intra-party and not a GOP op.
  • Broader damage: DSA recruiters and campaign consultants under scrutiny for lack of vetting; Maine Democrats suffer regardless.

• Notable Quote:

  • “This will not end with Graham Platner dropping out because there are a lot of defenders who knew a good amount about this information and chose to stick with him anyway out of partisanship.” (Whitlock, [04:54])

2. "DSA Summer" and Party Turmoil

[06:50 – 09:10]

• DSA on the Rise:

  • Politico labels it “Democrat Socialist Summer," with DSA scoring surprising wins in CO & NY.
  • Whitlock observes their coalition is “largely white, upper income, well educated women”—coining “White Girl Summer." ([06:20])
  • Warns DSA energy isn’t rooted in “working class voters, voters of color,” risking broader Democratic coalition turnout.

• Democratic Party Responses:
  Whitlock breaks down three camps:

  1. Pushbackers: e.g., PA Gov. Josh Shapiro, calls for open debate on DSA ideals.

     “I think what our party has to go through that will be very healthy... is to have a battle over what we believe in now.” (Shapiro, [06:50])

  2. Pretenders: e.g., Hakeem Jeffries, claims not to worry but clearly is ([07:32]).

     “There are gonna be times where we may... agree to strongly disagree with each other on endorsements.” (Jeffries, [07:32])

  3. Enthusiasts: e.g., Ro Khanna, Chris Murphy, Gavin Newsom—think they’ll benefit from DSA’s rise.
     • Whitlock: “Are you a big tent party if you are actually actively removing people solely based on their views on Israel?” ([08:28])

3. Abdul El Sayed’s "Women Problem" & Taylor Swift Gambit

[09:12 – 10:39]

• AIPAC Ad Airs El Sayed’s Issues:

  • Accused of sexism: belittling Michelle Obama, attacking Gretchen Whitmer, ageist remarks.
  • AIPAC focuses on gender issues (not just Israel), “because polls show this is a growing issue.” ([09:28])

• Cringe Campaign Moves:

  • To rehabilitate his image, El Sayed posts Taylor Swift-themed content:

    "She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleacher..." (Whitlock mocking, [09:54])

  • Whitlock responds: “Congratulations, Abdul. You win the award for most cringe campaign of 2026.” ([09:58])
  • Also parodies a "Blue’s Clues" mail song video, to look relatable ([10:39]).

    “I don't even know what to say to that. I would not let this guy anywhere near my kids.” (Whitlock, [10:49])

• Hypocrisy Highlight:

  • El Sayed previously mocked Mallory McMorrow for “dancing in a hallway,” calling it “what you do when you don’t have a message,” yet now resorts to the same tactics ([11:03]).

4. Debate: Are DSA Candidates Socialists or Communists?

[11:22 – 13:23]

• Washington Post’s “Nuanced” Argument:

  • DSA’s newer faces (dubbed “Zoronites”) openly embrace positions closer to communism: wealth redistribution, government seizure of industries.
  • Whitlock summarizes economic distinctions:
    • “Socialism allows some... industries to be collectively owned. Communism means all property and the means of production are collectively owned... Marx argued that socialism is the gateway to communism.” ([12:00])

• Implication for Dems:

  • “Feels like a pretty important part of DSA summer that we're all fighting about whether these people are just socialists... or actual communists, which are political cancer.” ([13:13])

5. "You Can’t Make It Up": Highlights from The View

[13:23 – 15:27]

• Best Nation For Who?

  • The View panel questions American exceptionalism:

    “When you say it's the best nation, best nation for who?” ([13:23])

  • Whitlock’s retort: “You are sitting on national television opining about our country. Clearly the nation is doing pretty well for you.” ([13:35])

• Unpatriotic Sentiments:

  • Sunny Hostin expresses feeling “unsafe” when seeing American flags. ([13:51])
  • Whitlock: “Being afraid of the flag is a you problem.” ([14:05])

• Abortion & Women Voters:

  • Hostin compares white Republican women voting GOP to “roaches voting for Raid.” ([14:21])
  • Whitlock: “What an interesting way to talk about half the country.” ([14:36])

• Climate Change Craziness:

  • Hostin implies recent earthquakes & eclipses are due to climate change.

    “Those things together would maybe lead one to believe that… either climate change exists or something is returning.” (Hostin, [15:05])

  • Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg correct her ([15:17]), prompting Whitlock to quip: “When Whoopi and Joy Behar are the smart people at the table, you’ve run into a problem.” ([15:27])

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “This is the sexual assault that she describes... She talked to her therapist, friends, and other people who also spoke to Politico to corroborate.” (Whitlock, [01:35])
• “Congratulations, Abdul. You win the award for most cringe campaign of 2026.” (Whitlock, [09:58])
• “Being afraid of the flag is a you problem.” (Whitlock, [14:05])
• “What an interesting way to talk about half the country.” (Whitlock, [14:36])
• “When Whoopi and Joy Behar are the smart people at the table, you’ve run into a problem.” (Whitlock, [15:27])

---

Key Timestamps

• 00:23 — Politico’s bombshell on Graham Platner
• 04:54 — Broader implications for Democrats and campaign consultants
• 06:20 — “White Girl Summer” and DSA demographics
• 06:50 — Shapiro calls for intra-party debate
• 09:12 — Abdul El Sayed’s “women problem” and AIPAC ad
• 09:54 — El Sayed’s Taylor Swift campaign appeal
• 10:39 — El Sayed’s “Blue’s Clues” style campaign video
• 11:22 — Socialist vs. Communist debate
• 13:23 — The View’s Fourth of July reactions and Whitlock’s commentary
• 15:15-15:27 — Science fact-check from Joy Behar and Whoopi

---

Tone and Takeaways

Matt Whitlock’s style remains sardonic and brisk, with a focus on political strategy, media spin, and partisan blind spots. He highlights deep fractures on the American left, skewers candidates’ gaffes and missteps, and ends on a humorous note dissecting the foibles of pundit TV.

---

Summary prepared for listeners who missed the episode, with all key substance included and signature commentary captured.

Transcript

[A]

Another major bombshell for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner. At the same time, a major outlet is calling it Democrat Socialist Summer. And we have a few hot takes from the view after the 4th of July. All of that and so much more today on 10 Minute Drill. Everybody get up.

[B]

Get up.

[A]

The story of America is the story of an adventure.

[B]

I can hear you.

[A]

The rest of the world hears you. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. Yesterday, Politico released a bombshell report on Graham Platner. This came after several days of outlets in Maine reporting that Platner and his campaign were canceling scheduled events, leading people to wonder what might be coming. Politico reported this exclusive. Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her. Now, you'll remember when the New York Times story came out a few months ago, we talked about what the New York Times did not include. There were a lot of rumors that there were more to some of the stories that they had touched on. For example, they did speak to a woman named Jenny Racicot, who detailed that Graham Platner came over to her house drunk late one night. Something happened. She cut off all contact with him and was disturbed by his behavior. Now, I had said at the time, Jenny Rascott sounds like somebody who probably has a lot more to say. Well, Racicot told Politico she connected with Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019 and had consensual relations with him prior to the night he allegedly assaulted her. That night in late 2021, she said she had exchanged text messages with him and told him not to come over, saying she wasn't in the mood for company. Later that evening, she said she realized when she heard a sound on the stairs that he had let himself into her house, which was unlocked. Now, this is disturbing. I want to warn you. Platner came up the stairs, Rascott said, to where she was on the couch. He got on top of her and kept grabbing her, she said, while she repeatedly told him to stop and that she wasn't interested. Raskott said she smelled alcohol on his breath and believed he was almost blackout drunk because Platner ignored her protest and continued to grab her after knocking over an antique sewing kit, spilling small needles everywhere. So this is the sexual assault that she describes. And she talked to her therapist friends and other people who also spoke to Politico to corroborate that this had happened. We have no idea why the New York Times left this out, but we'll get to that in a second. The Platner campaign, because they are the worst campaign I have ever seen in my life, attacked Jenny Racicot, even though in the story it details she is a lifelong Democrat who even hesitated going forward because she agrees with Platner's political views. In a statement, the Platner campaign reiterated his denial and accused critics of trying to drive him out of the race. These allegations are very serious and Graham vigorously denies them. They are also coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives. We're gonna cut off there. There's a lot more in this defense that sounds just really stupid. Once they use the phrase coached and coordinated, their hope, there is essentially a dog whistle to their defenders to say attack this person's credibility the same way that you did Lindsey Fifield's when she also talked about violent abuse. This was in 2021. This was not a long time ago. And it really is a horrific thing. And it's difficult for Graham Platner to say this categorically didn't happen when his defense on so many other issues was he got blackout and doesn't have a lot of memories from that time in his life. So this also is just so damning. But it also is damning for the New York Times, who we know had a lot of this information and chose to bury it in what we previously called a soft catch and kill effort. Rouscott said she felt compelled to go public about her experience because the reaction to the Times story was dominated by controversy about another woman, Lindsey Fifield, who alleged Platner mistreated her and faced attacks because of her ties to the Republican Party. Contacted by Politico, Fifield stood by the allegations she made to the Times and declined to comment further. Now Platner is expected to drop out. Now. There is a deadline coming up in just a few days before which anyone can drop out of the race and potentially be replaced. The way that, you know this isn't a Republican political operation is Republicans would have waited until after Platner was locked in as the candidate. This is being driven by Democrats who want to get him out of the race now that they know he's no longer viable as a candidate and he is jeopardizing their home in one of the top races in the country. But Platner is already signaling he's giving some thought to the pressure to drop out, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict. We are taking the time to reflect on the best path Forward now. This will not end with Graham Platner dropping out because there are a lot of defenders who knew a good amount about this information and chose to stick with him anyways out of partisanship. It also is going to be a damning day for the fight consultants who brought him into the race and the DSA recruiters, those weirdos that the Wall Street Journal interviewed who were very strange, who talked about going up there to recruit him into the race without doing any kind of vetting. This is going to hurt Maine Democrats regardless of who ends up being on the ticket. And Susan Collins will continue to look like the reliable style stateswoman she's been for decades. Politico is calling it DSA Summer for the Democrat Socialists. It's hot outside, but the DSA is hotter. Fresh off major primary wins in Colorado and New York, the Democrat Socialists of America is looking to prove that it can translate its momentum beyond deep blue House primaries and into competitive statewide races. Now, when you say it's DSA summer, that's another way of saying it's simply White Girl Summer because it is largely white, upper income, well educated women that are carrying the DSA in all of these races. Did we really need another reason to call it White Girl Summer? But to remind you, as we've talked about here quite a bit, these DSA candidates have largely been rejected by working class voters, voters of color, the primary groups that build up the Democrats winning coalitions. They're capitalizing on tiny turnout and, and low enthusiasm from normie Democrats. So I guess we will see if they're able to carry that on. But them carrying that on will be a very damning thing for Democrat enthusiasm in the rest of the country. And right now there are three different groups of Democrats and how they're reacting to the DSA rise. The first group is the group that's trying to actually push back on their radicalism. Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, is one of them. I think what our party has to go through that will be very healthy and something we've not really done since

[B]

the 1992 election cycle, is to have

[A]

a battle over what we believe in now. Shapiro actually wants to push back on this. He wants to create a permission structure for other Democrats to push back on dsa, whether it is their far left socialist ideas or their more sort of socially radical positions on things like defunding the police, getting rid of borders, getting rid of ice, all those things. Josh Shapiro wants to have a debate because he actually wants to push back on these people becoming the face of his party. But when you move over a little bit to the middle, you have the group that's saying, I'm not too worried about this, even though, you know, they absolutely are and are staying up at night worrying about it. People like Hakeem Jeffries. I've taken the position that there are

[B]

gonna be times where we may, as a congressional delegation, agree to strongly disagree with each other on endorsements.

[A]

And then, of course, there's the third group that wants to say, this is awesome, because they are naive enough to think they might be able to get this energy channeled in their direction when they run for president. Someone like a, you know, Chris Murphy, Ro Khanna. Even though I think he's actually trying to ride the bull, there's a famous tweet that I want to quote. I never thought leopards would eat my face. Sobs Woman who voted for the leopards eating people's faces party. The other people that embody this theory is the people that keep saying we're a big tent party. But are you a big tent party if you are actually actively removing people solely based on their views on Israel? For example, Gavin Newsom, he said he welcomes this energy because he is an addition, not a subtraction guy. Is it addition if your party is actively going after anyone who has any level of sympathy for Jewish people and the state of Israel as the exclusive litmus test and deciding factor for who gets to have elected office in the Democrat Party? Yesterday we talked quite a bit about Abdul Al said, including the CNN interview where he completely imploded. First because he was pressed three times about whether he thinks Israel has a right to exist and refused to answer, which is disqualifying, but also because a segment where Casey Hunt pressed him repeatedly why he was deleting tweets about defunding the police. And he kind of danced around it in the most awkward filibuster I've ever seen. But one thing that's important to note about Abdul Al Sayed is he does have a major women problem.

[B]

Abdul El Sayed has a long history of disrespecting women. He called Michelle Obama's work with children uninspired and ineffectual. Claimed Gretchen Whitmer was bought and sold in a discrimination lawsuit. El Sayed was accused of telling a woman he didn't want to work with anyone over 40.

[A]

Now, I want to note that that ad is from aipac. AIPAC is the American Israeli political action committee who Abdul has made the boogeyman of his entire ra. And it's notable that AIPAC didn't go after Abdul for being anti Semitic and hanging out with lunatic anti Israel people like Hassan Piker, they made it about his problem with women because polls show this is a growing issue. They highlighted there some of the terrible things he said about women. But also just in this race, he can't open his mouth without talking about how dumb the women running against him are. And to try and combat that problem, he's got a new strategy. And it involves Taylor Swift. She wears short skirts, I wear T shirts, she's cheer captain, and I'm on the bleacher. Congratulations, Abdul. You win the award for most cringe campaign of 2026. This is not going to help your women problem, but it might make everyone else think you are pretty weird. But on top of that, just in an effort to try and show that he's normal, because most of what everyone knows about him is hating Israel and trying to make excuses for the guy who tried to shoot up a synagogue in Michigan, he also released this video.

[B]

Here's the mail. It never fails. It makes me want to wag my tail when it comes. I want to wail maa.

[A]

I don't even know what to say to that. I would not let this guy anywhere near my kids. And clearly there's some campaign consultants saying you got to do some silly things so that people don't think you're just the hate Israel guy who also hates women. But I just don't see this working. And the last point that I would make on Abdul is when Mallory McMorrow released the video Dancing in a Hallway. He made fun of her and said, that's what you do when you don't have a message. There's a lot of debate going on right now about whether the Democrat socialists are socialists or communists. The Washington Post wrote this. Democrats are electing socialists. Republicans are labeling them communist. Now, I do think this is an important distinction. Some people don't like to call them communists because normal audiences hear someone called the communists and kind of dismiss it because it sounds so extreme. But I'd like to add a little bit of nuance to that discussion. It's important to note that this latest crop of Democrat socialists, I call them the Zoronites, actually do embrace positions that are much more closely tied to to historical communism. Socialism allows some or all major industries to be collectively owned. Whereas communism means all property and the means of production are collectively owned. Private ownership is eliminated. Socialism believes income differences may still exist. Communism aims for a society where wealth and resources are distributed according to need. Now, when you talk about Zoran, Daria, Lisa, Claire Valdez and Milat Kiros, all of them have been fairly open about wanting to seize the means of production, to have government take over major industries and control them. Also, they have been open about wealth redistribution, confiscating wealth from people who have it and redistributing it to the poor to programs, to things like that. These are communist principles that go further than socialism. And it's important to note Karl Marx argued that socialism is the gateway to communism. We've had Democrat socialists in government now for five to seven years. These are essentially getting closer and closer to the final boss of Democrat socialists who really do more closely align with communists. And last thing I'd say is it feels like a pretty important part of DSA summer that we're all fighting about whether these people are just socialists, which poll terribly, or actual communists, which are political cancer. For our you can't make it up segment today, we go to the Wine mom story hour of the View with their Fourth of July reactions.

[B]

When you say this is the best nation, the best nation for who? Yeah, when you say it's the best nation for us. When you say it's the best nation, the best nation for who? Because if we are celebrating 250 years, what are we exactly celebrating?

[A]

Best nation for who? Lady, you are on national television. I have no indication what you've done in terms of credentials, but you are sitting on national television opining about our country. Clearly the nation is doing pretty well for you. But let's continue.

[B]

And I said this on this show many, many years ago because this is my 10th year on the show. And I said there are times when I walk into a community and I see American flags all over the community and I suddenly feel unsafe.

[A]

My she shares that view with Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico. Being afraid of the flag is a you problem. And this is not surprising if you followed Sunny Huston over any of those last 10 years, because she is absolutely crazy.

[B]

But what's also surprising to me is the abortion issue. I read a poll just yesterday that white Republican suburban women are now going to vote Republican. Why, it's almost like roaches voting for Raid.

[A]

What an interesting way to talk about half the country. It might be a reminder to that very few Republicans watch the View because it is absolutely crazy and insane. But also, I'd remind you of how she reacted when Kamala Harris, one of the worst, most disappointing presidential candidates in modern history, lost.

[B]

I think the more relevant question actually is what is wrong with America?

[A]

Last but not least, when Sonny tried to claim that earthquakes and eclipses were signs of climate change.

[B]

Those things together would maybe lead one to believe that, you know, either climate change exists that's more or something is returning.

[A]

Earthquakes are not at the mercy of climate change. It's underground.

[B]

I don't think that it happens. And the eclipse, they've known about the eclipse coming because eclipses happen and they actually can say when these things are gonna happen.

[A]

My favorite part of that is when Joy Behar and Whoopi correct her and have to be the sort of high minded science brains on the View panel. When Whoopi and Joy Behar are the smart people at the table, you've run into a problem. And if Sunny were to see this, somehow I hope she's feeling okay despite all these great American flags around me. Thank you so much for joining us today. Please like subscribe, tell your friends we'll see you tomorrow.