Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner faces scrutiny over crude comments about prostitution and infidelity made on his now-deleted Reddit account, raising concerns among voters and party officials.
Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, is under fire for controversial remarks made on his now-deleted Reddit account. These comments include discussions about prostitution and defending men who cheat on their spouses while abroad, which have resurfaced amid his campaign against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
In posts dating back to 2012 and 2019, Platner made references to both Thai and Latin American prostitution. In one notable April 2012 post, he responded to concerns about the exploitation of women in Colombia by saying, “You don’t have much experience with Latin American hookers, do you?” This comment was made in response to another user who expressed alarm over the realities of sex work in the region.
While the comments do not indicate that Platner engaged the services of sex workers, they do reflect a pattern of crude and hyperbolic language. This has become increasingly problematic for Platner as he seeks to unseat Collins, especially following the emergence of other inflammatory posts where he disparaged the U.S. Army, calling it “full of fat, lazy trash,” and mocked Ted Daniels, a former Army infantryman and Purple Heart recipient.
On the same day he made his remarks about “Latin American hookers,” Platner defended men who cheat on their partners while overseas. He wrote, “I’ve heard that idiotic sentiment made within the confines of the military. ‘If you can’t remain faithful to your wife, how can you remain faithful to your comrades?’ Well, I have many good buddies who lied and cheated with women, and yet were straight shooting hard men when it came to their work.” He further dismissed the criticism as a viewpoint held by “moral relativists” who needed something to complain about.
In a later post from 2019, Platner continued to discuss prostitution, suggesting that service members could avoid federal income tax by spending their leave “banging hookers in Thailand instead of getting b—-ed at by the wife back home.” This comment appeared to reference a tax strategy utilized by some government contractors who spend more than 330 days outside the United States to evade federal income tax.
Platner’s online history has raised alarms among Maine voters, prompting some Democrats to distance themselves from him. National Republican Senatorial Committee press secretary Bernadette Breslin remarked that “Graham Platner’s moral depravity has alarmed Maine voters,” highlighting the potential impact of his past comments on his campaign.
In response to the backlash, Platner has attributed his online behavior to psychological trauma from his combat deployments and the “crude humor” he encountered while serving as a Marine. He expressed regret for his past comments, stating, “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am.” Platner urged voters not to judge him based on “the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet,” but rather on the person he is today.
The Platner campaign did not respond to a request for comment regarding the resurfaced posts. The Reddit account in question, “P-Hustle,” has been confirmed by Platner as his own, and the comments have been compiled into a searchable database by the Maine Monitor.
As the election approaches, Platner’s controversial online history continues to be a significant liability in his bid for the Senate seat, raising questions about his suitability for public office and the potential impact on his campaign.
According to Fox News, the scrutiny surrounding Platner’s past comments may influence voter perceptions as he seeks to challenge an incumbent in a competitive race.