On Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Arena,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) discussed Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner and said that “things that he said, I can’t say that they don’t bother me. But, having said that, I’m also going to tell you that the man in the White House is guilty of far worse than Graham Platner is. And we need to make sure that there’s a system of checks and balances in place on what is happening in this administration.”

Host Kasie Hunt asked, “Does what he represents, is that the future of the party, is that the way the party wins?”

Dingell answered, “I agree with him that having Donald Trump go after you is probably — I’ve been on — I am on that list, and it’s not a pleasant place to be. But, look, I have some issues with him. I’m clear about that. I’ve spent my whole life fighting domestic violence and sexual violence, and things that he said, I can’t say that they don’t bother me. But, having said that, I’m also going to tell you that the man in the White House is guilty of far worse than Graham Platner is. And we need to make sure that there’s a system of checks and balances in place on what is happening in this administration. So, I think that this country, a democracy, has people representing all kinds of different people. It’s a representative government, and it represents Americans of all kinds of different stripes. So, the people of Maine spoke. That’s who the Democrats nominated to be their candidate. And that’s what representative government is, representative of all kinds of people.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett