Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is under fire from fellow Democrats for excessively propping up and campaigning for disgraced ex-Senate candidate Graham Platner, along with a slew of other far-left candidates who have checkered pasts.
Sanders, the self-described Democratic Socialist who has called his far-left movement a “revolution,” had been one of Platner’s most vocal supporters, maintaining that he would “do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine.”
Sanders frequently attended campaign events and advocated fiercely for Platner on social media despite a series of scandals about Platner’s past that continued to emerge during his campaign.
However, less than 24 hours after a bombshell report this past Monday detailing how Platner allegedly raped his then-girlfriend in 2021, Sanders joined many of his Democratic colleagues and called for Platner to step aside.
However, Democratic leaders and pundits are indicating that Sanders’ latest move with Platner shines light on a pattern of him endorsing scandal-ridden candidates, leaving many to question his influence and integrity within the party.
Rachel Bade, a political commentator and longtime political reporter, said the Platner fallout is finally stress-testing Sanders’ continued influence in the party.
“The Graham Platner fiasco was bad, yes. But now, some Dems are tallying up everywhere else Sanders and his orbit bet wrong this cycle, raising questions about their judgment in elevating untested, unvetted candidates with skeletons nobody bothered to check for,” Bade wrote in a post to X.
NEW: 😡Dems are furious with Bernie.
The Graham Platner fiasco was bad, yes.
But now, some Dems are tallying up everywhere else Sanders & his orbit bet wrong this cycle, raising questions about their judgement in elevating untested, unvetted candidates with skeletons nobody…
— Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) July 9, 2026
Sanders has also endorsed several other candidates who have sparked political controversy over troubling details in their past.
Adam Hamawy, who has past ties to a convicted terrorist who was convicted of seditious conspiracy linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, won a Democratic primary with Sanders’ endorsement, calling him one of the party’s “bold leaders.”
Melat Kiros, a socialist and political newcomer in Colorado, defeated a 30-year incumbent in a primary challenge with Sanders’ backing despite her assertions that American foreign policy had made the 9/11 terror attacks “inevitable.” Sanders endorsed her with a prediction that she would be a “great ally in Congress fighting for a progressive agenda.”
Randy Villegas, another congressional candidate supported by Sanders in California, is also facing scrutiny as news broke that he had voted to approve confidential settlements related to decades-old child sex-abuse cases as a teacher.
“We must do everything we can to elect new, bold leaders like Randy who will be a champion for working Americans in Congress,” Sanders said.
Sanders is also backing scandal-plagued “Squad” member Cori Bush, who came under fire for previously paying her husband with campaign cash and previously being one of the most vocal defund the police supporters in Congress, as she pursues a comeback House bid.
In 2018, Sanders endorsed Andrew Gillum, a former candidate for Florida governor, saying he would “work to provide healthcare for all through a Medicaid-for-All program, raise the minimum wage, invest in sustainable energy.”
Gillum narrowly lost to Gov. Ron DeSantis, he went on to have at least a couple of scandals, including a recent arrest on drug-related charges in Alabama and a highly publicized incident in a Miami Beach hotel room involving a medical emergency and illicit substances.
Cenk Uygur, the founder of the Young Turks and the uncle of controversial streamer Hasan Piker, faced backlash in 2019 when an online footprint laced with racist material surfaced, prompting Sanders to rescind his endorsement that he would “serve ordinary people, not powerful special interests” and that “he is a voice that we desperately need in Congress.”
Shannon Watts, a top political commentator, believes Sanders’ willingness to pursue candidates who champion his far-left policies has led him to overlook character flaws that threaten their viability.
“A reminder that Bernie Sanders also endorsed another candidate who mocked sexual assault, failed Utah House Dem candidate Nate Blouin,” Watts said in a post to X this week, referring to yet another one of Sanders’ endorsements in 2026, who lost his primary earlier this year.
“It’s almost like there’s a pattern,” she added.
A reminder that Bernie Sanders also endorsed another candidate who mocked sexual assault, failed Utah House Dem candidate Nate Blouin.
It’s almost like there’s a pattern. https://t.co/vFdHUAJFhC
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 7, 2026
Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary at the Republican National Committee, echoed Watts’ opinion.
“Whether it’s alleged rapist Graham Platner, anti-cop Abdul El-Sayed, or ‘trans kid lover’ James Talarico, Bernie Sanders’ clown car of unvetted and untested candidates is showing the American people just how unfit they are for public office,” Baldassarre said.
Fellow Democrats are also behind the thinking.
“So, I don’t know why you want to keep pushing these kinds of people,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said of Sanders in an interview with Fox News.
“Maybe he should consider sitting a few out and stop pushing these kinds of communists.”