Troy Jackson, a former Maine gubernatorial candidate and potential Democratic candidate for the US Senate, struggled to defend his earlier support for Graham Platner during an interview on MS NOW on Thursday. Jackson had been one of Platner's earliest backers and had campaigned alongside him, but he later filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to potentially replace Platner as the Democratic nominee after a rape allegation prompted Platner to suspend his campaign. The exchange highlights the awkward position facing Maine Democrats who had endorsed Platner before the allegation emerged.

During the interview, host Katy Tur pressed Jackson on why he had continued to support Platner through a series of earlier controversies, including a Nazi tattoo, a New York Times article about aggressive behaviour towards women, and Reddit posts described as racist and sexist. Jackson responded that he had not personally seen the Reddit material and accepted Platner's explanation that these reflected a darker period from which he had since grown, adding that people can change. He also said he had been more focused on Platner's political positions, such as his advocacy for Medicare for All and his call for change.