NBC Skips Fifield for McDreamy, ABC Promotes ‘Tattoo Resembling a Nazi Image’

Curtis Houck
July 9th, 2026 5:15 PM

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On Thursday morning, the “Big Three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC were forlorn over the left’s now-former Senate darling in Maine Democrat Graham Platner, who insisted late Wednesday he’ll quit the race amid on-camera claims of abuse and assault from two ex-girlfriends, a fake working-class persona, a Nazi tattoo, odious social media posts about minorities and veterans, and a tawdry profile on a children’s website.

But those were largely afterthoughts on their flagship newscasts with ABC still downplaying the Nazi tattoo, CBS showing zero interest in party accountability, and NBC ignoring one of the ex-girlfriends (Lyndsey Fifield) in favor of actor Patrick Demsey passing on the seat.

NBC’s Today co-host Craig Melvin described Platner as an “embattled” candidate who said he would quit “following a string of sexual misconduct accusations.”

Senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson called the “bombshell” development “stunning, certainly, if not shocking, considering the chorus of calls that have been building” following “new, explosive allegation against him” from Racicot.

“Once seen as a rising star, Platner, facing a firestorm these last few days after a former romantic partner, Jenny Racicot, publicly alleged he sexually assaulted her five years ago,” she declared.

But along with fretting Platner has “throw[n] into chaos a race Democrats saw as their best hope of flipping a Republican Senate seat,” Jackson and Melvin spent over 30 seconds gushing over the fantasy of a Senator Dempsey:

MELVIN: So, Hallie, perhaps no surprise here, a number of folks have already thrown their hats in the ring to be Platner’s replacement in that race. But notably this morning, there’s someone who says he’s not going to be running. That’s making some news. What can you tell us about that?

JACKSON: Yeah, that’s right, Craig. He — a familiar face and not just in his home state of Maine. Patrick Dempsey, you may know him as McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy. He says he gave real thought to running, but in a new op-ed, Dempsey says, while public service is honorable, he thinks he “can contribute more effectively through the life [he’s] already built.”

Incredibly, Today reupped a truncated version in the second hour, including a rehashing of the Dempsey news.

Disney-owned ABC’s Good Morning America was similarly ludicrous. Co-host Michael Strahan also framed the story as one of concern for his fellow liberals: “Embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner dropping out of the race after mounting pressure after one accused him of sexual assault. Democrats are now racing to replace him on the ballot.”

D.C.-based correspondent Jay O’Brien made Fifield a footnote in history, further bolstering the cynical view that Racicot’s interviews a week before the drop-out date for Platner was (along with the bottom dropping out on polling) the story that actually forced someone’s hand.

O’Brien said Platner only ended his campaign because of an “accusation of sexual assault...and unrelenting pressure” from allies, but left in his wake “an all-out scramble amongst Maine Democrats.”

“The announcement following an arduous three-day collapse of Platner’s candidacy after an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault, which he denies...Jenny Racicot telling Politico she dated Platner on and off starting in 2019. She claims that, in 2021, he showed up at her home ‘almost blackout drunk’ and says Platner forced her to have sex against her will,” he added.

O’Brien conceded “a chorus of Democrats...had previously stuck by him when other alleged parts of Platner’s past came to light” and boiled down Fifield’s story about a years-long emotionally and sexually abusive relationship to an afterthought alongside other scandals the broadcast networks refused to touch until May 31.

Take notice of O’Brien’s absurd framing of the Totenkopf and emphasis of Platner as “an oyster farmer” even though that claim was dubious (click “expand”):

A chorus of Democrats, including top supporters like Senator Bernie Sanders pushing Platner to drop out. Many had previously stuck by him when other alleged parts of Platner’s past came to light, including another former girlfriend who accused him of abusive behavior, which he has denied. Also, sexual messages Platner acknowledged sending to multiple women shortly after he was married in 2023, and questions about a chest tattoo resembling a Nazi image Platner says he drunkenly got on leave with other Marines in 2007, which he later covered up, claiming he didn’t know its significance. An oyster farmer and Marine combat veteran, Platner bringing a progressive, anti-establishment jolt to the race to unseat Maine’s longtime Republican senator, Susan Collins, a seat Democrats almost certainly need to flip to take back control of Congress. After a standoff with state Democrats, Platner taking parting shots at party leaders who, by Maine law, now have just over two weeks to replace him on the ballot.

Left out of O’Brien’s rundown? Platner’s profile on the site Kik, which is seen as a hotbed of pedophilia.

CBS Mornings brought up Fifield and Racicot, but the laudatory language ends there as it too was concerned about their team’s future in Maine.

“Now to the political meltdown in Maine that could impact control of the U.S. Senate. Overnight, Democrat Grant Platner said he is dropping out of his state Senate race. It follows allegations of rape and physical abuse, which he denies. Democrats are scrambling to find a new nominee,” featured co-host Vlad Duthiers began.

Congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns noted Platner was “defiant” in “dismissing those allegations and arguing it was the party system trying to force him out, but now the hard work begins as Democrats here trying to pick up the pieces[.]”

Ahead of soundbites from both women, Huey-Burns said Platner voiced “he intends to drop out” following “a week of mounting allegations, vanishing support, and a showdown with state Democratic Party officials” and new claims “of sexual and physical abuse.”

Huey-Burns pivoted to the field of candidates looking to take Platner’s place, including one she interviewed in former Maine director of health, Dr. Nirav Shah.

CBS had a second segment with CBS News contributor and former Obama official Joel Payne that served as an exercise in finding a way to spill a lot of words without actually saying anything.

“He seems, though, to be blaming the Democratic establishment for forcing him out. Joel, is that because party leaders concluded he was simply unelectable, because — or because Democrats feel that there’s some kind of moral obligation here for a candidate facing an allegation like this to withdraw, regardless of whether or not it’s been proven,” Duthiers asked.

Aside from a passage when he conceded Maine Democrats have to ensure a new candidate doesn’t have the stench of a coronation like in 2024 with Kamala Harris, try and search for contrition in Payne’s answers that his side almost got away with enthusiastically backing someone of Platner’s ilk (click “expand”):

He kind of, you know, offered up [a] very strong critique of the establishment because his campaign itself was a commentary on the establishment and the power that he hoped to rebalance between working people and between those in power. And so, the fact that he offered this commentary and this critique is not surprising because this was essentially a proxy war about that. I think what we go from here is Democrats trying to pick up the pieces and you hear a lot of commentary online about, well, how did we get here? Who’s fault is this? Is it the fault of the people that identified Graham Platner? Is it the fault of the establishment class who did not offer up the type of candidates who would appropriately challenge a Platner in the primary? And to me, I think there’s medicine for everybody to take and I think what Democrats across the country and in Maine are doing right now is trying to learn the lessons of how we got here with Platner, and where do we go next? And how do you refocus on trying to defeat Susan Collins in November?

(....)

It is important that this decision is transparent, and open, and public. I think a lot of Democrats are learning the lessons from what happened with Joe Biden in 2024. Very different circumstance, obviously, but same impact voters chose somebody, and then because of decisions out of their hands, that person was not on the ballot, ultimately, when they chose them in a primary. I think what Democrats want to do is make sure that Maine voters, particularly those who are reached by Platner’s working-class, economic populism message feel represented, and they don’t feel like the type of candidate with the type of focus and the type of agenda that they believe in, that that is not represented on the ballot in November. And Caitlin talked about there’s going to be a nominating convention by the end of the month. You’ve talked about some of those candidates, whether it’s Troy Jackson or Nirav Shah, Dan Kleban, there will be lots of folks, I imagine, who jump in and lots of opportunities for people to weigh in.

To see the relevant transcripts from July 9, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).

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