U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner has publicly addressed a series of controversial social media posts that surfaced this week. The posts, which criticized police and described white rural Americans as “actually” racist and stupid, were deleted prior to his campaign launch in August. Platner, an oyster farmer and veteran from Hancock County, is seeking to challenge incumbent Senator Susan Collins in the upcoming election.
The now-deleted posts originated from Reddit and date back to 2020 and 2021. They were highlighted by CNN, prompting Platner to clarify his past remarks during an interview with the Press Herald on Thursday. He expressed that the comments stemmed from a period of disillusionment and anger, asserting that they do not reflect his current beliefs.
“It was just dumb stuff on the internet,” Platner stated, acknowledging that he no longer feels the same way. He remarked, “A lot of it isn’t even things I believed then. A lot of them are just stupid joke comments.”
In one notable post from 2020, Platner responded to a discussion titled “White people aren’t as racist or stupid as Trump thinks,” saying, “Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are.” Another post from 2021 involved a discussion about a Black army lieutenant who was subjected to police violence during a traffic stop, where Platner remarked, “All of them, in fact,” in response to a comment condemning the police.
Platner’s posts also included reflections on his military service. He served three deployments to Iraq with the Marine Corps and was later deployed to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard. In these reflections, he expressed a shift in his political views, stating, “After the war, I’ve pretty much stopped believing in any of the patriotic nonsense that got me there in the first place, and am a firm believer that the best thing a person can do is help their neighbors and live a loving life.”
As a leading contender for the Democratic nomination, Platner faces competition from other candidates, including Governor Janet Mills, who recently announced her own campaign for the Senate seat. The political landscape in Maine is becoming increasingly competitive as the election date approaches.
Platner’s candidacy has generated significant attention, and his response to the resurfaced posts may play a crucial role in shaping public perception as he continues his campaign. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
