CNN’s political roundtable took an unexpected detour into pop culture Saturday when panelist Bakari Sellers compared Hunter Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to a bizarre political version of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
The unusual comparison came during a discussion on CNN’s Table for Five about former President Joe Biden’s recent defense of Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, whose campaign has been dogged by controversy since his primary victory.
Sellers argued that both Newsom and Hunter Biden have built reputations around an aggressive, confrontational style that appeals to certain segments of the Democratic base.
“You had two people that were together for a particular cause, right? A singular cause,” Sellers said.
He then launched into the analogy that immediately caught the attention of the panel.
“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.'”
Whether viewers found the comparison insightful or simply confusing, it underscored the larger debate unfolding within Democratic circles about how the party should position itself heading into the midterms and the 2028 presidential race.
The discussion was prompted by comments Biden made while appearing alongside Newsom, during which the former president defended Platner despite growing scrutiny surrounding the Maine Democrat.
“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 also emphasized Platner’s policy positions, arguing that Democrats should focus on issues rather than controversies.
“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.”
Not everyone on the CNN panel appeared convinced that Democrats should rally around either Platner or the broader strategy represented by figures such as Hunter Biden and Newsom.
Anchor Abby Phillip questioned why some Democrats seem eager to amplify Hunter Biden whenever he attacks President Donald Trump.
“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.”
She suggested that some Democrats appear too eager to embrace Biden simply because he is willing to aggressively criticize Trump online.
Former Democratic National Committee Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa raised a different concern. She warned that national Democrats could be taking a political risk by becoming too closely associated with Platner given the controversies surrounding his candidacy.
“Women make up a majority of the electorate, especially independent voters,” Hinojosa said.
She argued that the allegations and scrutiny surrounding Platner could create broader problems for Democrats if they are perceived as dismissing concerns that many female voters take seriously.
“For national Democrats to really go out on a limb right now, I don’t think it is a smart idea,” 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, secured Maine’s Democratic Senate nomination and is expected to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. His campaign has faced increasing scrutiny over past online posts, allegations involving explicit messages, and a tattoo that critics have linked to Nazi imagery.
