In Maine’s U.S. Senate race, resurfaced Reddit posts tied to Democratic nominee Graham Platner include harsh descriptions of the U.S. Army and vicious comments about a wounded Army veteran awarded the Purple Heart. The posts—now deleted—have become a central c
When Graham Platner talks about service, the words people found this week land like a blow.
The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine—seeking to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins—has faced a growing backlash after resurfaced posts from his now-deleted Reddit account came to light. In those posts. Platner described the United States Army as “absolute trash. ” writing that it was “full of fat. lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.” He posted that in April 2019.
Platner later added a broader indictment of the institution. “I spent another 4 in the Army after the Corps. and while I was very lucky to serve in some sh–t hot units with good dudes. as a whole the organization is absolute trash. ” he wrote in April 2019. He also wrote that the Army was “absolutely lacking in the warrior ethos and leadership obsession that the Corps has. and generally attracts a lower standard of person.”.
A separate post from 2019 attached his anger to a personal, battlefield story. In resurfaced comments about a wounded Army veteran. Teddy Daniels—who was shot by the Taliban and later awarded the Purple Heart—Platner criticized Daniels’ tactics and wrote that the “dumb motherf—er didn’t deserve to live.”.
The posts were made under a Reddit account named “P-Hustle,” which Platner previously acknowledged as his.
Platner’s supporters and critics alike have been forced to grapple with the same tension: he has publicly described the kind of self-criticism soldiers should be willing to face—then, in the posts now resurfaced, he directed contempt toward the wounded and toward an entire branch of the military.
In March 2019. Platner wrote: “The Army does things differently. and as a whole. they do things much worse. ” and added. “As an organization it’s awful. Full of fat. lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.” But he also wrote that the Army wasn’t without strengths. He praised “some solid light infantry. reconnaissance. and SOF units that are s— hot. as well as access to some great schools.”.
He also framed harsh internal honesty as part of military culture. In 2013. Platner wrote: “Civilians can be as dumb f–k ret—ed as they want. but WE have a duty to be brutally honest. ” adding. “I want civilians to think our ability to fight is unmatched. but I also want us to be brutal in our internal criticism.”.
The resurfaced material quickly became more than private online bitterness. It turned into a live campaign question in a race where tone, credibility, and readiness to serve are treated like campaign currency.
The criticism intensified after the posts resurfaced, including harsh language toward wounded service members. Adam Schwarze—a former Navy SEAL and Marine veteran running for Senate as a Republican in Minnesota—said in response to the controversy: “We don’t make jokes about our brothers and sisters dying. that’s not something we do. that’s not normal.”.
Plainer language is meeting even sharper scrutiny because it isn’t limited to Reddit. During a 2024 podcast interview, Platner implied that deceased Navy SEAL Chris Kyle killed civilians to inflate his numbers. “Kyle’s stories about how many people he was shooting certainly tracked with the behavior I witnessed,” Platner said. “It’s relatively easy to get high numbers like that if you’re a little less discriminating in your fire than. say. a more professional unit would be.”.
On his Reddit account, he also accused Navy SEALs of being generally incompetent, while writing he had kind words for the Army Rangers.
National Republicans have seized on the full package of language as disqualifying. Bernadette Breslin. a press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. called Platner’s remarks “vicious attacks on wounded service members and open contempt for the Army” and said they were “disgusting and disqualifying.” Breslin also said that as more details emerged. Platner’s top Democratic allies like Elizabeth Warren were “forced to dodge questions on why they ever supported him in the first place.”.
Platner has not been silent about the posts either. In October, after the controversy surfaced, he said, “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am. ” adding. “I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today.”.
On the campaign trail, Platner has attributed the behavior to psychological trauma he says he developed from being deployed to the Middle East, along with the “crude humor” he said he had gotten used to while in the Marines.
His military record is part of why the debate is so charged. Platner served in the Marine Corps and the Maryland Army National Guard, completing multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also has been identified as an oyster farmer.
Still, the posts now resurfaced—some of them including slurs and other demeaning statements—have landed in the middle of a key political contest in Maine. Platner launched his Democratic run for the U.S. Senate in Maine in August.
He is now facing mounting pressure as the race centers on how candidates talk about service, especially when the targets are wounded veterans and those who fought on the same side.
Graham Platner Susan Collins Maine Senate race Reddit posts P-Hustle Teddy Daniels Purple Heart U.S. Army Marine Corps Maryland Army National Guard Chris Kyle Navy SEAL