Senate Candidate Graham Platner Faces Backlash for Comments

Graham Platner, a controversial Senate candidate, is under fire after referring to law enforcement as “opportunistic cowards” in a Reddit post that has since been deleted.

The 35-year-old Platner, who identifies as a far-left populist and is running for Senate in Maine, made these remarks in June 2020. This came in response to criticisms directed at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, which was requesting funds to acquire “riot control equipment” amid the rising tensions from Black Lives Matter protests, some of which escalated into violence.

He found the sheriff’s request “ridiculous,” asserting, “I think it’s the sheriffs. The department is so full of overweight pansies that it needs tax dollars to protect it from second-graders at George Stevens Academy and aging hippies.”

Platner didn’t stop there; he continued to label the police as “opportunistic cowards.” His comments were posted on the subreddit R/Maine under the username “P-Hustle.”

This incident is just one of many anti-law enforcement statements made by Platner, raising questions about his qualifications for public office as he attempts to unseat incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). State Representative Donald Adell, a Republican, criticized Platner’s understanding of law enforcement operations, emphasizing the necessity of being prepared for unexpected situations.

Adell shared that law enforcement communities, both current and former, have expressed strong disapproval of Platner’s remarks, which belittle those in uniform. He remarked on the pattern of poor decision-making displayed by Platner in his statements.

Back in June 2020, Platner also disparaged the Maine state police chief as “thin blue line trash” for not kneeling during protests against the death of George Floyd, claiming, “All cops are bastards.” In another post in April 2021, he questioned whether there was a “profession-wide” issue with policing.

Platner has further drawn criticism for declarations of being a communist, derogatory comments towards rural white individuals, and making light of a teenager’s suicide attempt. He argues that some of his statements were taken out of context and attributed them to struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his military service. “The comments should be read in context. It’s clear that I was joking,” he explained, stating that his online interactions were meant to provoke disagreement.

Adell challenged Platner’s perceived transformation over the years, questioning how the candidate had supposedly recovered from past controversies involving misogynistic behavior, including recent allegations from an ex-girlfriend regarding infidelity and inappropriate messaging.

Adding to the scrutiny, Platner had a presence on Kik, a platform often linked to casual encounters, which his campaign claimed he had deleted. Questions also surround his Nazi-related tattoos, which have been covered up, yet some ex-girlfriends had knowledge of their existence.

Addressing the potential for more damaging revelations about Platner, Adell did not shy away. “This is not the kind of guy who has a skeleton in his closet,” he said. “This is a guy who has an entire cemetery.”