CNN panelist Bakari Sellers offered an unusual comparison Saturday while discussing Hunter Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the way some Democrats have responded to their more aggressive political style.
During a “Table for Five” discussion, Sellers said Biden and Newsom appeared to be aligned around a shared political cause, especially as Biden defended Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner. Sellers suggested that some Democrats are attracted to the more combative tone both men bring to political fights, even if the pairing itself feels odd.
“You had two people that were together for a particular cause, right? A singular cause,” Sellers said.
He then compared the dynamic to a strange political version of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
“And I think that a lot of times people assume that Gavin Newsom ascended to the level of popularity he did because he had the same type of arrogance, egomania, and Twitter presence that Donald Trump did,” Sellers said. “And when you match him with Hunter Biden, you kind of get this really weird, like, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’”
The panel’s discussion came after CNN aired a clip of Biden defending Platner during an interview with Newsom. Platner has faced several controversies, but Biden argued that he had not seen evidence proving Platner was the kind of person critics have described.
“I have not heard anything in any way that would say to me that he is an abusive, misogynistic or antisemitic or racist person,” Biden said.
Biden then pointed to Platner’s progressive views as a reason Democrats should not write him off. He said Platner supports free health care, believes American politics needs major change, and has spoken about working-class people being mistreated.
“And I have heard this from Graham Platner, though, that he thinks we should all have free health care,” Biden said. “I have heard this from Graham Platner also that he thinks that we have to radically change our politics. I have heard this from Graham Platner that working people are getting screwed.”
CNN anchor Abby Phillip questioned why some Democrats seemed eager to amplify Hunter Biden simply because he had been attacking President Donald Trump online. Phillip said there does not appear to be broad demand for Biden’s political commentary, especially given the baggage surrounding the Biden family.
“The Hunter Biden thing, like, first of all, I don’t think most people care one way or another,” Phillip said. “Nobody really is like begging to hear from Hunter Biden. But the quickness with which some Democrats are like, ‘Oh, he’s trashing Trump online. Let’s elevate that,’ I don’t know. I mean, why?”
Former Democratic National Committee communications director Xochitl Hinojosa warned that Democrats should be cautious about turning Platner into a national cause. She said women make up a major part of the Democratic coalition and argued that the allegations surrounding Platner could create political problems for the party.
“One thing I think I would caution the Democratic Party more broadly about it, is, that women make up a majority of the electorate, especially independent voters,” Hinojosa said.
She added that Democrats need women voters to win both the midterms and the 2028 presidential election.
“For national Democrats to really go out on a limb right now, I don’t think it is a smart idea for the reason that we need them to win in the midterm elections,” Hinojosa said. “We need women to win in 2028, and we start alienating women. That is terrible for the Democratic Party.”
Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine veteran, won Maine’s Democratic Senate nomination Tuesday and is expected to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. Reuters reported that he has faced scrutiny over past online posts, a tattoo critics connected to Nazi imagery, and allegations involving explicit texts.
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