Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, is facing renewed conservative criticism after The New York Post reported additional resurfaced posts from his former Reddit account showing what critics describe as a pattern of inflammatory and disturbing remarks made over the past decade.
The newly surfaced post dates to 2012 and shows an account using Platner's former username 'P-Hustle' responding to a thread about a teenage girl's failed suicide attempt at a high school. In that response, according to The New York Post, the account wrote: 'Someone clearly isn't trying hard enough.' The post included an image of students holding onto the girl as she hung from a window.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican critics swiftly condemned Platner following the report, with Maine State House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham telling The New York Post: 'Graham Platner is clearly a person with deep and disturbing psychological issues that predate his military service and continue to this day.'
Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage called it 'yet another example of abject cruelty from Graham Platner,' adding: 'When someone tells you who they are, believe them. Platner has told us repeatedly. Sadly, this time he was mocking the pain of a young woman facing a terrible loss. If this doesn't show you who Graham Platner is, what will?'
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer weighed in on social media, saying: 'Of all the rotten, troubling, and warped things Platner has done and said, his mocking encouragement of a young girl to commit suicide is the worst.' Fleischer questioned how 'anyone' could support the Maine Senate candidate amid the controversies.
What the Left Is Saying
Platner previously addressed his Reddit history in a statement to CNN, saying he was 'expletive] around on the internet at a time when I felt lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die.' He characterized the remarks as 'dumb jokes' made during a difficult period following his military service. The 41-year-old Platner described himself as 'a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired s---poster,' and said he is not a socialist despite some posts suggesting otherwise.
Democratic Party officials in Maine have not issued public statements about the most recent revelations. This article will be updated if Democratic voices provide comment on the new reports.
What the Numbers Show
Platner won the Democratic primary for Maine's U.S. Senate seat in June 2024, securing the nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins. The newly surfaced posts date from between 2012 and 2021, according to news reports citing archived Reddit content. Platner's campaign has not released a detailed response to these specific remarks as of publication time.
The Bottom Line
The controversy adds to an already difficult general election race for Platner against Collins, who has held the seat since 1997. Republican groups have highlighted the Reddit posts throughout the campaign. This story is developing. Democratic officials had not provided additional comment at press time, and Platner's campaign did not respond to requests for comment on the most recent reports.