In Sullivan, Maine, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has come under scrutiny for a resurfaced Reddit post where he mocked a Purple Heart recipient. The post, which has since been deleted, targeted Pfc. Ted Daniels, who was wounded in a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters. Despite being confronted by Fox News Digital, Platner declined to apologize to Daniels or the voters.

Controversial Remarks

Platner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, initially did not respond when asked if he regretted the post. He later defended himself by stating, “I did four tours in the infantry, any attempt to say that I disrespect veterans is slanderous and offensive.” He further emphasized his connections to fellow veterans, saying, “Do you know how many of my friends have Purple Hearts, do you know how many of my friends got wounded? Yeah, a lot of them, thank you.”

The post in question was made in June 2019 under the Reddit account “P-Hustle,” which Platner has acknowledged owning. In the post, he referred to Daniels as a “dumb motherf—–” and criticized his actions during combat. This has sparked significant outrage online, with many veterans, including U.S. Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill, condemning Platner’s remarks.

Response and Reactions

Rob O’Neill, known for his role in the mission that killed Usama bin Laden, stated, “Mr. Platner was way out of line talking about a soldier that way.” He added, “If you swear an oath to the country, it doesn’t even matter what the politics are. Every single time you fight it’s for the man next to you.”

Platner has previously cited his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a factor in his past incendiary social media posts. In a statement from October, he expressed regret for his past online behavior, saying, “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am. I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet.”

Pfc. Ted Daniels, the soldier targeted in Platner’s post, responded by calling Platner a coward for making such statements online. “People like this don’t say stuff like this to my face,” Daniels told Fox Business.

Platner is currently the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Maine Senate race, following the withdrawal of his rival, former Governor Janet Mills. The Democratic Senate Primary in Maine is scheduled for June 9, where Platner will compete against Democrat David Costello to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.