Democrat Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner Outed By Own Comments As Anti-White Communist
Since-deleted messages from Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner have resurfaced showing him once calling himself a communist and insulting police and rural white Americans, according to a report.
Most of the posts were made about five years ago under the Reddit username “P-Hustle” and were deleted before his campaign launched in August, according to a report by CNN K-FILE. The candidate reportedly posted messages insulting law enforcement in response to reports of police activity and claimed rural white Americans were racist while linking it to President Donald Trump.
Platner distanced himself from the posts in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, saying they came out of a period when he was angry and disillusioned. “It really was me, the fucking king of the Internet,” Platner told CNN. “I don’t want people to see me as who I was in my worst internet comment – or even frankly who I was in my best internet comment… I don’t think any of that is really indicative of who I am today, really.”
My name is Graham Platner and I am running for the United States Senate to defeat Susan Collins and overthrow the oligarchy that is destroying our country.
I am a veteran, oyster farmer, and worker Mainer who has seen this state become unlivable for workers. And that makes me deeply angry. pic.twitter.com/QZfAm528N1
– Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) August 19, 2025
In a deleted thread discussing a black army lieutenant who police allegedly pointed guns at and pepper sprayed, one user commented: “Bastards. Cops are bastards.” Platner replied: “All of them, actually. »
Platner has often commented on police brutality, allegedly calling it “a problem that runs deep across the profession as a whole” and rejecting allegations of accidental shootings in cases like the murder of Daunte Wright. “F**k these cops,” he wrote.
Platner addressed the anti-cop messages. “I can honestly say it’s me being just an asshole on the internet,” he said. “I have a lot of friends who are police officers. They’re not all bastards because they’re literally friends of mine.” (RELATED: Maine Mamdani: So-called ‘grassroots’ oyster farmer has deep ties to the far left)
In a 2020 post that has since been deleted, Platner reportedly responded to a thread titled “White people aren’t as racist or stupid as Trump thinks they are” by saying, “Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you that they actually are.” »
The candidate told CNN he didn’t remember that particular discussion, although he suggested it reflected a debate he had online at that time.
When someone posted the question “‘When you’re older, you’ll be more conservative.’ —How many people on this subreddit are older,” Platner wrote, “I got older and became a communist,” according to a screenshot. The comment was made on the far-left subreddit r/Antiwork in 2021, CNN reported.
Platner, a Maine oyster farmer who entered the race in August, was billed as a “grassroots” challenger to Republican Sen. Susan Collins, aiming to connect with the state’s Trump supporters through a campaign focused on improving living conditions for working-class Maine residents. The candidate said he deleted the posts because he wanted to rid himself of any association with a darker time in his life.
Chuck Schumer should focus on fighting Donald Trump and protecting health care for millions of Americans, not meddling in the Maine primary.
The DC pick has lost to Susan Collins five times in a row. We can’t afford a sixth. https://t.co/6Yu6rEA4HK
– Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) October 14, 2025
The former Marine – who served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan – reportedly said in a deleted post that he was “a vegetable farmer and psychedelic taking socialists these days. After the war, I pretty much stopped believing in the patriotic nonsense that got me there in the first place, and I firmly believe that the best thing a person can do is help their neighbors and live a good life loving.” (RELATED: Democrat enters crowded key Senate race, troubled waters and help for GOP incumbent)
“I still have the guns,” he continued, according to a screenshot. “I don’t trust fascists to act politely.”
The account dated back to 2009, although many of the most inflammatory alleged posts were from around 2021, according to CNN. Although he didn’t use his name on Reddit, he shared details about his age, job, Maine residency, and military service.
In the CNN interview, he reassured voters by saying, “I’m not a communist. I’m not a socialist. I own a small business. I’m a Marine Corps veteran.”
Platner was previously a former State Department employee and spent time as a student at George Washington University. Platner has kept a relatively low profile online, although his past posts frequently show him retweeting independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and mocking President Donald Trump.
I had the best oysters I have ever had at his farm. He is the real deal and would make an incredible senator. https://t.co/tK8wxKMrOw pic.twitter.com/jENS5jF0j2
– David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) August 19, 2025
Platner has also donated to former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sanders. (RELATED: 77-year-old Democrat enters race to unseat Republican — but first must beat Bernie-backed oyster farmer)
His first campaign ad was produced by Fight Agency, a Democratic media consulting firm that has worked with figures including Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and Sanders.
Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills also launched a Senate bid Tuesday and would be the longest-serving freshman senator in U.S. history if she wins election in 2026.
The Daily Caller has reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment.
Editor’s note: Article updated to clarify the timeline of the posts’ deletion, according to CNN.
