SouthernWorldwide.com – Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for the Senate in Maine, has come under fire for past online comments where he labeled the U.S. Army as “absolute trash” and its soldiers as “fat, lazy trash.” These statements were reportedly made on his now-deleted Reddit account.
In April 2019, Platner allegedly wrote, “I spent another 4 in the Army after the Corps, and while I was very lucky to serve in some sh–t hot units with good dudes, as a whole the organization is absolute trash.” He further elaborated, stating, “It does have some squared away fighting units and good guys, as well as some better doctrine here and there. But it is absolutely lacking in the warrior ethos and leadership obsession that the Corps has, and generally attracts a lower standard of person.”
The resurfaced posts also include a critical comment from 2019 regarding Teddy Daniels, an Army veteran who received the Purple Heart after being wounded by the Taliban. In this post, Platner reportedly questioned Daniels’ battlefield tactics, writing that the “dumb motherf—er didn’t deserve to live.”
These comments, along with other deleted Reddit posts where Platner allegedly used slurs, demeaned rural white Americans, and identified as a Marxist, have become a significant issue in the Maine Senate race. Platner is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Platner, who served in the Marine Corps and the Maryland Army National Guard, completed multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is noted that criticism between different branches of the military is not uncommon.
In another March 2019 post, Platner expressed his view on the Army’s operations: “The Army does things differently, and as a whole, they do things much worse. As an organization it’s awful. Full of fat, lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.”
However, Platner also acknowledged positive aspects of the Army, mentioning “some solid light infantry, reconnaissance, and SOF units that are s— hot, as well as access to some great schools.”
He also emphasized the importance of internal criticism within the armed forces. In a 2013 post, Platner wrote, “Civilians can be as dumb f–k ret—ed as they want, but WE have a duty to be brutally honest. I want civilians to think our ability to fight is unmatched, but I also want us to be brutal in our internal criticism.”
The Washington Free Beacon was the first to report on Platner’s disparaging remarks about the Army. The posts were made under the Reddit account “P-Hustle,” which Platner has confirmed as his.
In response to the resurfaced posts in October, Platner stated, “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am. I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today.”
Regarding the incident with Teddy Daniels, Platner’s 2019 reaction to a video of an American soldier being shot by the Taliban included the statement that the soldier “didn’t deserve to live.” Platner’s post criticized the soldier’s tactics, despite the soldier later receiving the Purple Heart.
Platner’s commentary has drawn criticism from several veterans. Adam Schwarze, a former Navy SEAL and Marine veteran running for Senate in Minnesota, commented on Platner’s remarks, stating, “We don’t make jokes about our brothers and sisters dying, that’s not something we do, that’s not normal.”
Platner has attributed his online behavior to psychological trauma from his Middle East deployments and the “crude humor” he became accustomed to in the Marines.
His controversial statements about the military are not limited to Reddit. In a podcast interview in 2024, Platner implied that deceased Navy SEAL Chris Kyle killed civilians to inflate his kill count.
Platner said, “[Kyle’s] stories about how many people he was shooting certainly tracked with the behavior I witnessed. It’s relatively easy to get high numbers like that if you’re a little less discriminating in your fire than, say, a more professional unit would be.”
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He also made critical remarks about Navy SEALs’ general competence on his Reddit account, although he expressed positive views about Army Rangers.
