SouthernWorldwide.com – Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner in Maine is once again facing scrutiny over previously unearthing posts from his now-deleted Reddit account. These latest revelations include graphic sexual comments about masturbating in portable toilets and explicit graffiti found in military restrooms.
One such post, dating back to March 2017 on the r/Military forum, saw Platner respond to a discussion about military smells. He wrote, “I still have to jerk off every time I sit in a portas—-er… that blue water smell conditioned me.”
These archived posts were made under the username “P-Hustle,” an account that Platner has previously admitted belonged to him before it was deleted.
In another instance, a post from March 2021 on the r/USMC forum, Platner described a crude penis drawing located inside a portable toilet while he was deployed overseas.
Responding to a thread that showcased what were termed “GWOT Dick Art,” Platner offered an extended commentary, praising the explicit graffiti in remarkably vivid terms. He described it as “beautiful,” “engorged and veiny,” and noted its movement “towards its penetrative glory.”
He further exclaimed, “Oh s***!!!, You’ve got the Hot Rod C*** from Manas!” Manas was a significant U.S. military transit hub in Kyrgyzstan, utilized during the wars in Afghanistan. Platner himself enlisted in the Marines in 2003 and completed three combat tours in Iraq. In 2010, he joined the Maryland Army National Guard for a fourth tour, serving in the infantry in Afghanistan, and later returned to Afghanistan eight years later as a security contractor.
The post was accompanied by a photograph of a smiling serviceman standing next to the explicit illustration within the portable restroom. Platner wrote, “I sat there in sheer awe. The soul filling joy to be allowed to witness such glory.”
Platner has previously addressed questions about his controversial posts by suggesting that he was making jokes.
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These posts, which are available in the Maine Monitor’s archive but had not been previously reported, add to a growing list of vulgar and inflammatory social media comments. Critics argue these remarks raise serious questions about Platner’s judgment, especially as the progressive Democrat emerges as his party’s nominee for the Senate in Maine.
Republicans are expected to leverage these resurfaced posts, alongside others, to characterize Platner as too erratic and extreme for statewide office, even as Democrats rally behind the first-time candidate.
“His campaign has been built around authenticity and moral seriousness. These posts undercut both,” stated Cooke. “Platner is not a truth-teller. He is someone whose instincts appear crude, reckless, and deeply unserious. And by the way, if they were really ‘jokes,’ why delete the posts? That sounds less like humor and more like a CYA cleanup operation.”
Cooke further elaborated that while “one tasteless post” might be attributed to “immaturity,” a “years-long trail of vulgar, sexually degrading, and slur-filled commentary is a character issue.”
Platner, a candidate running for the first time, has received backing from progressive figures such as Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. He became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee after his rival for the nomination, two-term Governor Janet Mills, withdrew her campaign last month, having trailed Platner in both polling and fundraising.
Other posts that have drawn Platner’s attention include a 2013 comment, which he later deleted, suggesting that individuals concerned about rape should not “get so f—ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.” This was mentioned in a recent interview with the New York Times.
Platner has also faced scrutiny for more recent Reddit posts. Among these is one from five years ago where he described himself as a “communist” and “socialist.” Additionally, Platner’s posts have reportedly contained homophobic slurs and praise for military tactics employed by Hamas.
“Will every Democrat in Maine care? No,” Cooke commented. “Platner has shown he can survive controversy inside a Democratic primary. But in a general election, especially against Susan Collins, the cumulative effect of his stances, controversies, and comments matters. The Nazi-linked tattoo controversy, the homophobic slurs, the disturbing comments that have already surfaced, and now these posts create a fuller picture of a morally bankrupt candidate. Republicans will argue this is not a candidate with a few regrettable moments. This is a pattern that tells voters something fundamental about his character. And character still matters to a lot of Mainers.”
