Maine Senate Candidate Under Fire for Old Social Media Posts

Maine’s Democratic Senate candidate, Graham Platner, is facing heightened scrutiny following the emergence of archived social media posts that include graphic language, controversial political views, and remarks concerning veterans.

Posts retrieved from Platner’s past Reddit account indicate that despite attempts to erase much of his online history, it has been examined by various news organizations and is still available through the Internet Archive. One notable instance is a 2014 response he made in an online discussion requesting users to share offensive jokes.

Using the username P-Hustle, Platner replied to a prompt on Reddit asking for the “craziest, most mind-blowing, offensive joke you know.” His response included jokes related to incest, bestiality, and necrophilia.

For example, he mentioned, “I was eating my grandmother out and it tasted like horse semen. That’s how she died…” Additional archived content displays him making sexually explicit comments across different discussions, such as linking the smells of portable toilets to masturbation and praising a graphic drawing of male genitalia.

One particularly controversial post from 2013 involved a thread titled “Knickers that prevent rape,” where Platner provocatively suggested that individuals should take more responsibility for their choices, indicating that substance use can lead to regrettable situations.

Heck, why don’t people just take some responsibility for themselves and not screw up so much that they end up having sex with someone they don’t want? Both men and women choose to consume substances that cause them to lose control. So, if you don’t want to end up in an unfortunate situation, act like an adult.

The recovered comments aren’t exclusively of a sexual nature; they also touch on Platner’s political ideology and even express support for military actions of Hamas, along with comments directed at Purple Heart recipients that some interpreted as hostile toward wounded veterans.

A separate report indicated the discovery of an account with a name similar to Platner’s on Kik, a messaging app that has drawn criticism from child protection advocates due to its potential misuse by online predators. The profile allegedly contained a photo of a man believed to be Platner dressed only in a towel.

Platner’s campaign has periodically faced scrutiny over claims regarding his personal behavior and past relationships. His former partner, Lindsay Fifield, accused him of physical aggression during their time together, alleging incidents of him causing bruises, locking her in a room post-argument, and forcibly removing her from a taxi.

Other reports claimed that he engaged in sexually explicit exchanges with several women in the initial years of his marriage. Concerns have also been raised regarding a previous tattoo of a Totenkopf, a symbol historically tied to the Nazi party, which Platner has since covered up with new artwork.

Despite the surrounding controversy, Platner has remained a strong contender in the race. He recently secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and is set to face off against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November, who has served in the Senate since 1997.