Republican Senator John Kennedy has claimed the Democratic Party faces a "reckoning" over Graham Platner, the embattled Maine Senate candidate who is refusing to abandon his campaign despite sexual misconduct allegations. Speaking on Fox News's "Hannity", Kennedy branded Platner a "clown" and a "predator" and argued that senior Democrats ignored warning signs about the candidate because they were focused on winning the seat. The remarks matter because they highlight a growing crisis for Democrats in a high-stakes race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Platner, a progressive, is under pressure to withdraw after a rape allegation from Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, a former partner. A second allegation surfaced on the Tuesday in question, with ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield accusing him of removing condoms during sex. Prominent backers Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who had previously campaigned for him, have since rescinded their endorsements or called for his campaign to end, while former Obama aides say he should step aside and was dishonest about his past.