A Purple Heart veteran responds to Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s refusal to apologize for mocking him online, criticizing his comments and the use of PTSD as an excuse.
Teddy Daniels, a Purple Heart veteran, has issued a strong rebuttal to Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner after a video surfaced in which Platner declined to apologize for mocking Daniels in a now-deleted online post.
In a video interview with Fox News Digital, Daniels expressed that he does not seek an apology from Platner, stating, “I consider the source of where the comment came from, and I’m the type of person that — in order for me to worry about what you say — first I have to respect you.” He added, “There’s zero-to-no respect for a self-proclaimed communist.”
The controversy stems from a June 2019 Reddit post made by Platner under the username “P-Hustle,” where he reacted to a viral video showing Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 confrontation with Taliban fighters. In the post, Platner stated that Daniels “didn’t deserve to live” and referred to him as a “dumb motherf—er,” attributing Daniels’ survival solely to “poor marksmanship” by the Taliban.
Although the post has been deleted, it remains accessible in the Maine Monitor’s database of Platner’s deleted Reddit history. This history includes other contentious posts where Platner identified himself as a “communist” and “socialist,” used alleged homophobic slurs, and made disparaging comments about the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.
Daniels, who previously ran as a Republican candidate for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, suggested that Platner’s remarks about Kyle stem from jealousy. “There was no trigger there for him except for the fact that Chris Kyle was a man 100 times greater than Grant Platner and shoes that he could never, ever fill,” Daniels said.
He further stated that if anyone deserves an apology, it is the children and widow of Chris Kyle. “I believe he owes them an apology to their face,” Daniels remarked.
Platner has cited his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a reason for his inflammatory comments, a justification that Daniels finds unconvincing. “I think Graham Platner is using his PTSD as a crutch, as a means to avoid accountability for his actions,” Daniels said. He noted his own experiences with PTSD, having undergone over 20 surgeries related to his military service, and emphasized that while PTSD can lead to out-of-character behavior, Platner’s comments appear to be part of a pattern.
Daniels criticized Platner’s attempts to use PTSD as an excuse, stating, “This appears to be a continuing course of conduct with Graham Platner, and he is trying to blame [PTSD], which I think is insulting to every service member who actually suffers from PTSD.” He added, “The first step of being a man is taking responsibility and accountability for your actions and your words, and we’re just not seeing that here.”
Supporters of Platner have defended his controversial posts, labeling them as “locker room talk” or indicative of a soldier’s dark sense of humor. However, Daniels rejected this characterization, asserting that Platner’s comments go beyond what could be considered acceptable banter among service members. “Graham Platner and his privileged background wouldn’t know the first thing about locker room talk,” he stated. “The stuff that this guy put out there publicly is beyond locker room talk. It is just vile and disgusting.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Platner campaign for comment regarding the ongoing controversy.
According to Fox News, the situation continues to draw attention as Daniels stands firm in his criticism of Platner’s comments and the implications of his use of PTSD as a defense.