From the Associated Press: Old online comments made by a U.S. Senate candidate in Maine in which the candidate appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military and criticize both police officers and rural America were wrong but not disqualifying from office, the national chair of the Democratic Party said.
Graham Platner is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Maine that has been held by Republican Susan Collins since 1997. He faces a crowded field for the nomination that also includes Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who announced her candidacy last week.
CNN first reported last week on old Reddit posts made by Platner that he had deleted since entering the Senate race, and several media outlets followed, revealing separate controversial posts. The posts were made between 2013 to 2021. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said Sunday during an appearance on CNN that he does not think the posts were “disqualifying” but did say they were “not right” and “offensive” and he was glad Platner apologized for them.
“I don’t think they’re disqualifying, but certainly they’re not right,” said Martin, speaking on CNN’s State of the Union. “And I’m glad that he apologized for them. They’re indefensible, they’re hurtful, and they’re offensive.”
Platner posted a video on X on Oct. 17, saying the comments he made in the past were after he got out of the military with PTSD and says it does not reflect who he is today.
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) October 17, 2025
In a campaign video released in August, Platner declared, “I’m running for US Senate to defeat Susan Collins and topple the oligarchy that’s destroying our country.”
He presented himself as a former Marine and a hard working man.
Graham Platner, the Maine Democrat running for Senate as a rugged, independent-minded “oyster man,” just had his Reddit posts exposed by @KFILE.
He called himself a Communist, who owns guns bc he doesn’t trust “fascists,” called cops “bastards,” and said rural Whites are stupid. pic.twitter.com/gOX17vXK3g
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 16, 2025
However, Platner’s social media posts reveal a much darker side:
🚨 WOW. It’s now been revealed that Democrat Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner talked about having an “Antifa supersoldier” label on his armor in a deleted Reddit post.
Platner’s campaign didn’t answer whether he’d attended any events of Antifa—the now domestic terror group. pic.twitter.com/OUCaQjJBHP
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 21, 2025
Maine State Press: Recently surfaced video shows Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner with what appears to be a chest tattoo resembling the SS Totenkopf, a symbol used by Nazi Germany during World War II. pic.twitter.com/tJHMXEZc7a
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) October 21, 2025
Platner recently bragged that many of his campaign volunteers attended the anti-Trump “No Kings” rallies across the state last weekend.
You might have seen our volunteers at 18 No Kings events across Maine, building for our statewide get-out-the-vote operation *this November* to defeat Question 1 and save absentee voting in Maine.
We are organized. We are statewide. And we are growing! pic.twitter.com/3Dl5AI0Fc7
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) October 18, 2025
READ MORE from the Associated Press.
Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter.)
The DML News App: www.X.com/DMLNewsApp
