Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says If Allegations Against Graham Platner Are True, “They are disturbing,” But “That seemed not  to stop Trump getting elected”

On ABC and CNN this morning, Sen. Mark Warner had some interesting things to say.  See below for video and highlights.

• On Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence (Bill Pulte): “They can’t acknowledge that Biden won. But I also think there’s a focus on ’26 and ’28…What he could do is take a single piece of intelligence that may not be corroborated or make something up and say country X is going to interfere or is sending people to encourage non-citizens to vote, and that be used as an excuse for Trump to bring in ICE, federal troops, close down elections, seize polling stations. The list is extraordinarily frightening.”

• On Maine Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner: “Well, first of all, if the allegations are true, they are disturbing. End of the day though, Maine voters are going to decide this. I’ve got my own election this year; I’m trying to get rehired in Virginia. So, I’m trying to make the case to people in Virginia why they ought to rehire me, and that’s what I’m focused on….Listen, I think the whole this whole realm uh changed dramatically when Donald Trump ran his first time and was caught on tape saying extraordinarily disparaging things. That seemed not  to stop Trump getting elected. And I do think at the end of the day, you know, American voters will make those decisions. And I don’t know Mr. Platner. I’ve never met him. I would just say this, the allegations are made, I think he ought to have at least some attempt to…disprove them if that’s the case.”

• On the Democrats’ campaign strategy in 2026 and beyond: “I think the Democrats…need to articulate a fuller strategy, not just against Trump. I want the Democratic party to be pro growth, pro- innovation and actually about getting stuff done. I think Democrats at times have been… too bureaucratic. But Donald Trump drives the agenda, and I think come come this fall, that is going to be what will be the ultimate decision. Are you better off today than you were when Donald Trump came back in?  Has inflation gone up? Are we more secure as a nation?…I think running against Trump, but I go back, I can remember Barack Obama’s first campaign and I can remember Bill Clinton’s first campaign. Every time Democrats are looking for that three-word slogan, I can’t remember many cycles 2006 when the Democrats won huge, but I don’t remember other than frustration with President Bush and the Iraq war at that point, what the other message was.”

• “I unfortunately believe that President Trump’s war of choice may go down as his biggest folly…If you’re going to have a war of choice, have a full-fledged plan going in…”
• On whether he’d support Graham Platner, Sen. Warner said he’s focused on his own race, but “I do hope the Democrats take back the Senate.”