Rep. Seth Moulton speaks during a House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials hearing on “Rail Safety In The Aftermath Of The East Palestine Ohio Derailment” on July 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum / Getty Images)
By Joe Saunders June 24, 2026 at 3:44pm
Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton doesn’t dodge tough questions — he just slaps down the people who ask them.
In a video making headlines on Wednesday, the five-term congressman and vocal critic of President Donald Trump reacted to being confronted by a question about the controversial Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner by questioning the credentials of the questioner.
And then smacking the camera phone out of the man’s hand.
Fox News political editor Cameron Cawthowne posted the video to social media platform X:
.@sethmoulton lashes out and knocks down phone when asked whether he endorses Platner
Video obtained by @foxnewspolitics pic.twitter.com/OSgrOzjdY6
— Cameron Cawthorne (@Cam_Cawthorne) June 24, 2026
The incident occurred outside a building adorned with campaign posters for Moulton’s current bid for promotion to the United States Senate. (He’s challenging longtime Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey in the Democratic primary.)
Moulton had apparently just arrived when an unknown individual pointing a camera phone asked him, “Do you endorse Graham Platner in Maine?”
Instead of answering, Moulton stalked directly at the questioner and demanded to know who he was. He then knocked the phone from the man’s hand.
“You’ve got to do a better job of hanging onto your phone,” he snarked.
The video generated headlines Democrats have to hate:
Fox News: “SEE IT: Moulton lashes out when asked about possible Platner endorsement.” Mediaite: “Dem Lawmaker Goes Nuts and Smacks Phone Out of Reporter’s Hand When Asked About Graham Platner.” Boston Herald: “Congressman Seth Moulton allegedly hits phone out of person’s hand after Graham Platner question.”
It also drew a tsunami of social media responses criticizing Moulton.
Possibly feeling the heat, Moulton took to his own X account to argue that the questioner was a “tracker” for America Rising, a political action committee that specializes in opposition research on Democratic candidates.
Typical MAGA to classify an @AmericaRising tracker as a “reporter.” I’m not going to apologize for how much MAGA pisses me off. I’ll take them on anywhere, anytime, and I won’t back down. If this tracker can’t handle a reality check or hold onto his own equipment, that’s on him.… pic.twitter.com/riBM8tu119
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 24, 2026
“Typical MAGA to classify an @AmericaRising tracker as a ‘reporter,’” Moulton wrote. “I’m not going to apologize for how much MAGA pisses me off. I’ll take them on anywhere, anytime, and I won’t back down. If this tracker can’t handle a reality check or hold onto his own equipment, that’s on him. Sorry not sorry.”
If Moulton, a former Marine, thought that explanation was going to win the PR battle, the social media responses on his own account should show how wrong he was:
You’re not tough. You’re a spineless sleezebag. Is this how you would treat the thousands of conservative voters in your district? You are supposed to govern for everyone, not just the few that voted for you. You’re a disgraceful pussy
— BryanRome 🇺🇸 (@BryanJRome) June 24, 2026
You were wrong; you behaved like a bully.
When you classify everyone you disagree with, and don’t like, as MAGA you loose all credibility.
Questions on camera from someone you think you don’t like does not warrant assault. I hope you get arrested.— SunriseHolyH2O (@SunriseHolyH2O) June 24, 2026
You assaulted a person asking you a simple question. I hope he presses charges.
— Barnabus (@BarnabusShadows) June 24, 2026
Why are Democrats always violent?
— ronnyabrsi (@ronnyabrsi7724) June 24, 2026
The Moulton story is just the latest in how Platner’s challenge of Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine is bringing negative attention to the Democratic Party.
Previous stories, though, have largely focused on Platner’s own behavior — his Nazi tattoo, his bizarre homosexual rape fantasies of home invaders (but “not in a gay way”), and his mistreatment of women.
Now that Platner has won Maine’s primary and is the Democratic candidate for Senate, he could become a headache for the rest of the party on a national scale. There are some exceptions, like Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who have denounced Platner, but the party is largely supportive of his candidacy.
The Massachusetts primary is Sept. 1.
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Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro desk editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He’s been with Liftable Media since 2015.
Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He’s been with Liftable Media since 2015. Largely a product of Catholic schools, who discovered Ayn Rand in college, Joe is a lifelong newspaperman who learned enough about the trade to be skeptical of every word ever written. He was also lucky enough to have a job that didn’t need a printing press to do it.
Birthplace
Philadelphia
Nationality
American
