CNN publishes first Al Franken op-ed since resignation

Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has written his first op-ed since resigning from the Senate amid sexual misconduct claims in 2018, with the former senator penning an opinion piece for CNN.

The op-ed titled “How Biden Wins” and published on the outlet’s website on Wednesday paints a road map for former Vice President Joe Biden to defeat President Trump with the election 111 days away.

“When your opponent is digging himself a hole, you let him keep digging,” Franken writes in the piece. “By design or necessity, Joe Biden has laid low since we all sheltered in place, allowing President Donald Trump to turn the November election into a referendum on Donald Trump.”

“And right now,” he continues, “Donald Trump appears to be losing badly to Donald Trump.”

Franken, 69, once considered to be a viable 2020 presidential candidate, served in the Senate for more than eight years.

The former “Saturday Night Live” star announced his resignation in December 2017 after eight women accused him of sexual misconduct, including Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden, who was the first to accuse Franken in November 2017 by presenting a photo of Franken grabbing her chest while she was sleeping during a flight on a USO tour a decade earlier.

I’ve decided it’s time to tell my story. #MeToohttps://t.co/TqTgfvzkZg

— Leeann Tweeden (@LeeannTweeden) November 16, 2017

Franken vowed to continue to speak out “as an activist” during his resignation speech on the Senate floor in December 2017. His resignation took effect the following month.

“Let me be clear. I may be resigning my seat, but I am not giving up my voice,” Franken said in the speech. “I will continue to stand up for the things I believe in as a citizen, and as an activist.”

In his op-ed Wednesday, the former senator argued that there’s a real possibility the president “will continues to crash and burn all the the way” to Election Day, but offered advice to Democrats.

He warned that Democrats must still offer compelling reasons to vote blue in November, including advancing social justice reforms, preventing voter suppression and presenting the hypothetical that Trump “may very well refuse to leave” if defeated.