Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, made disparaging remarks about the United States Army in posts from his now-deleted Reddit account. In a 2019 post, he referred to the Army as 'absolute trash' and criticized its personnel, stating that it is 'full of fat, lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.' Platner, who served in the Marine Corps and the Maryland Army National Guard, acknowledged that while there are competent units within the Army, he believes the organization lacks the warrior ethos found in the Marine Corps.
In another post, he criticized Army veteran Teddy Daniels, who was awarded the Purple Heart after being shot by the Taliban, stating that Daniels 'didn’t deserve to live' due to his battlefield tactics. These resurfaced comments have become a significant issue in Platner's campaign against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Platner has expressed regret for his past comments, stating, 'I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am.' He attributes his behavior to psychological trauma from his deployments and the crude humor he encountered in the military.
The comments have drawn criticism from other veterans, including Adam Schwarze, a former Navy SEAL, who stated that joking about service members dying is unacceptable. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also condemned Platner's remarks as disqualifying for his candidacy. Platner's campaign did not respond to requests for comment regarding the controversy.