Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner once urged violence as a tool for social change in a now-deleted Reddit post, according to Politico.
Platner, a former Marine and oyster farmer, wrote in 2018 that “an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice” and suggested that those who “expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle” should “do some reading of history,” the outlet reported. (RELATED: 77-Year-Old Democrat Jumps In Race To Unseat Republican — But First Must Beat Bernie-Backed Oyster Farmer)
Platner did not dispute his authorship of the posts but renounced his past rhetoric in a statement to Politico.
As I told CNN, I was fucking around on the internet at a time when I felt lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die,” Platner said. “I made dumb jokes and picked fights. But of course I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired shitposter.”
CNN first reported Thursday that Platner participated in the subreddit r/SocialistRA, along with other left-wing forums. Many of his posts date back roughly five years and appeared under the Reddit username “P-Hustle,” where he called police “all bastards,” described himself as a communist, and said rural white Americans were racist and stupid.
Platner deleted the posts in August, the same month he launched his Senate campaign, saying he wanted to distance himself from
what he described as a darker period in his life.
After Platner launched his Senate campaign, The New York Times described him as a “political novice” focused on improving life for Maine’s working class and challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.
His past posts suggest a far more left-wing worldview than his campaign’s initial image. Platner has hired Democratic strategist Morris Katz, who also works with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the outlet reported.
Platner’s ties to prominent left-wing consultants raise questions about his appeal to independent voters. His first campaign ad was produced by Fight Agency, a Democratic media firm that has worked with figures including Mamdani, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Platner’s senior advisor, Joe Calvello, previously worked for Hillary Clinton, Sanders, Planned Parenthood and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
