Graham Platner Attempts to Rehabilitate His Image Amid Senate Bid
Graham Platner, a Maine business owner and candidate for the Senate seat currently occupied by GOP Senator Susan Collins, is trying to distance himself from a series of controversial online comments that could jeopardize his insurgent campaign. In a video released on Friday, Platner offered a lengthy explanation and expressed regret for his past remarks on Reddit, which included endorsements of political violence, minimizing military sexual assault, and disparaging law enforcement.
Reflecting on his time after returning from military service in Afghanistan, Platner stated that his earlier comments represented a troubled mental state, asserting that he has since undergone significant personal growth. “When I got back from Afghanistan in 2011, I stayed in the Army for another year. I got out in 2012. Some of the worst comments I made, the things that I’m — I think are least defensible, that I wouldn’t even try to defend, come from that time,” he explained in his video message. “When I got out, I still had the crude humor, the dark feelings, the offensive language that really was a hallmark — hallmark of the infantry when I was in it.”
Recent media scrutiny has focused on Platner’s social media posts, some dating as recently as 2021. Notably, he suggested in a 2018 post that political violence might be necessary for social change. The Washington Post highlighted his downplaying of sexual assault concerns in a 2013 discussion, while CNN noted that he labeled rural White Americans as “racist and stupid” in a 2020 post and referred to all police officers as “bastards” in a 2021 post. Additionally, the Bangor Daily News reported that he questioned why Black individuals “don’t tip” in a 2013 comment.
Prior to announcing his candidacy, Platner deleted the controversial Reddit posts. He has since acknowledged their existence and has publicly apologized. He stated that he ceased posting on Reddit “around 2020 or 2021” upon returning to Maine.
“I went from thinking that people were bad to knowing that people are good. I went from thinking that there was no hope to having nothing but hope — a hope that is rooted in the fact that it was in my community, here in Sullivan, Maine, that I got to come home and build a nice life,” Platner remarked in his video statement.
Endorsed by progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, Platner is positioning himself to challenge Senate Democrats’ favored candidate, Governor Janet Mills, in what many see as a crucial opportunity for Democrats to secure a Senate seat in the upcoming midterms.
However, Republican leaders were quick to dismiss Platner’s video apology. National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez derided the statement, asserting, “Five minutes in which Graham Platner blames HIS FELLOW SERVICEMEN for things he said.”
Correction: A previous version of this report inaccurately referred to Susan Collins as a GOP representative; she is, in fact, a senator.
