Purple Heart Veteran Responds to Graham Platner's Comments

<p>A Purple Heart veteran, Teddy Daniels, responded to Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's refusal to apologize for mocking him online. In a video, Platner did not express regret over his comments, which included a derogatory remark about Daniels' survival during combat.</p><p>Daniels stated, "I saw the video and honestly, I don't want an apology. I don't need an apology. I consider the source of where the comment came from... There's zero-to-no respect for a self-proclaimed communist." He criticized Platner's previous comments made in a now-deleted Reddit post, where Platner suggested that Daniels "didn’t deserve to live" after he was shot four times in 2012.</p><p>Daniels also commented on Platner's remarks about Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, suggesting they stem from jealousy and asserting that Platner owes an apology to Kyle's family. He expressed skepticism regarding Platner's claims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an excuse for his comments, stating, "I think Graham Platner is using his PTSD as a crutch, as a means to avoid accountability for his actions."</p><p>Supporters of Platner have defended his comments as "locker room talk," but Daniels disagreed, stating that the nature of Platner's remarks is beyond what could be considered acceptable in such contexts.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.</p>