Pod Save America Star Cites Knitting Club T-Shirt in Defense of Democrat With Red Flags

LEFT: Jon Favreau RIGHT: Graham Platner
(Screenshots)

Pod Save America star Jon Favreau came to the defense of Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for United States Senate from Maine, by citing a t-shirt he wore during his appearance on Favreau’s program.

Platner, who is facing off against Governor Janet Mills (D) in the Democratic primary for a chance at taking on Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), has been scrutinized over his attitude about Jewish people.

A progressive critic of Israel, Platner stole headlines after it was revealed that he had an large Nazi “Totenkopf” — a symbol associated with the SS — tattooed across his chest. He has since had it covered up.

Then, last week, Platner boosted a post from infamous anti-Semite Stew Peters. “War with Iran is the only thing republicans and democrats have both given a standing ovation for. Let that sink in,” wrote Peters in a post that also included a clip of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

“As always, there’s one thing that brings Republican and Democratic politicians together: sending other people’s children to die in stupid wars in the Middle East,” added Platner’s campaign account in a quote-tweet.

Then, over the weekend, Jewish Insider reported that Platner had not only sat down for an interview with Nate Cornacchia, an anti-Semitic commentator who appeared on “prominent Holocaust denier” Jake Shields’s podcast just two days before hosting Platner, but told Cornacchia that he was a “longtime fan.”

On Shields’s show, Cornacchia promoted the conspiracy theory that Israel was behind the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

From Jewish Insider’s report:

Charlie Kirk said that he was tired of being bullied by his Jewish donors” and that he “no longer could support the pro-Israel cause, and he was dead 48 hours later,” Cornacchia added on the show, where he also agreed with Shields’ assertion that President John F. Kennedy had “probably” been assassinated in a covert “venture between the CIA and Mossad,” the Israeli intelligence agency. “100%,” he replied.

In addition, Cornacchia has suggested that the global war on terror was conducted “on behest of Israel” and claimed Israel would benefit if another 9/11-style attack were carried out during the tenure of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying it would help to drum up Islamophobic sentiment and lead to another foreign military entanglement in the Middle East.

On Tuesday, Favreau mounted an unorthodox defense of Platner while responding to a poll suggesting he has a lead over Mills.

“I can’t remember the last time there was such a giant disconnect over a candidate between online (mostly BlueSky) Dems and Democratic voters. And it’s not like Maine voters don’t know about the tattoo or other controversies — Platner gets asked about it all the time. They just listen to and accept his answer instead of unquestionably QTing outlets with a clear ideological agenda,” he began.

“All I’d say is – try listening to the guy. He sat down for our interview wearing an Anti-Fascist Knitting Club t-shirt, talked about how his first community organizing project was fighting an anti-trans school board takeover, and got emotional discussing the horrors of war. If he’s a Nazi, he’s really f*cking bad at it,” argued Favreau. “If you don’t like his policy positions or don’t think he’s electable, vote for Mills. I like her too. But if you’re gonna accuse him of being a Nazi, at least try to find a single thing he’s actually said or a view he’s expressed that in any way aligns with far right (or even just right-wing) political views.”

Some onlookers were perplexed by the argument.

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