Since-deleted posts by Democrat Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner have resurfaced and show 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 they were deleted before his campaign launch in August, according to a CNN K-FILE report. The candidate reportedly made posts insulting law enforcement in response to reports of police activity and claimed rural white Americans were racist while tying it to President Donald Trump.
Platner distanced himself from the posts in a Tuesday interview with CNN, saying they emerged from a period when he was angry and disillusioned. “That was very much me f**king around the internet,” Platner told CNN. “I don’t want people to see me for 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 indicative of who I am today, really.”
My name is Graham Platner and I’m running for US Senate to defeat Susan Collins and topple the oligarchy that’s destroying our country.
I’m a veteran, oysterman, and working class Mainer who’s seen this state become unlivable for working people. And that makes me deeply angry. pic.twitter.com/QZfAm528N1
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) August 19, 2025
In one deleted thread discussing a black Army lieutenant who police reportedly pointed guns at and pepper-sprayed, a user commented, “Bastards. Cops are bastards.” Platner replied, “All of them, in fact.”
Platner often commented on police violence, allegedly calling it “a problem that extends deep into the profession as a whole” and dismissing claims of accidental shootings in cases like the killing of Daunte Wright. “F**k these cops,” he wrote.
Platner addressed the anti-cop posts. “I can honestly say that this is me just being an a**hole on the Internet,” he said. “I have an immense amount of friends who are police officers. They’re not all bastards because they’re literally buddies of mine.” (RELATED: Maine Mamdani: So-Called ‘Grassroots’ Oyster Farmer Has Deep Connections To Far-Left)
In a 2020 post that has since been deleted, Platner reportedly replied to a thread called “White people aren’t as racist or stupid as Trump thinks” by saying, “Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are.”
The candidate told CNN he didn’t recall that particular discussion, though he suggested it was a reflection of a debate he had online at that time.
When someone posted the question “‘When you are older, you’ll be more conservative.’ — How many 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, has been presented as a “grassroots” challenger to Republican Senator Susan Collins, aiming to connect with the state’s Trump supporters through a campaign focused on improving conditions for Maine’s working-class residents. The candidate said he deleted the posts because he desired to rid himself of any association with a darker period of his life.
Chuck Schumer should be focused on fighting Donald Trump and protecting healthcare for millions of Americans, not meddling in a Maine primary.
DC’s choice 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 completed three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan — reportedly said in a deleted post that he was “a vegetable growing, psychedelics taking socialist these days. After the war, I’ve pretty much stopped believing in any of the patriotic nonsense that got me there in the first place, and am a firm believer that the best thing a person can do is help their neighbors and live a loving life.” (RELATED: Democrat Enters Crowded Key Senate Race, Muddying Waters And Helping GOP Incumbent)
“Still got the guns though,” he continued, according to a screenshot. “I don’t trust the fascists to act politely.”
The account dated back to 2009, though many of the most inflammatory alleged posts came from around 2021, according to CNN. Though he didn’t use his name on Reddit, he shared details about his age, job, Maine residence and military service.
In the interview with CNN he went to assure voters stating that “I’m not a communist. I’m not a socialist. I own a small business. I’m a Marine Corps veteran.”
Platner previously served as a former State Department employee and spent time as a student at George Washington University. Platner has kept a relatively low profile online, though his past posts show him frequently retweeting Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and mocking President Donald Trump.
Got the best oysters I’ve ever had from his farm. He’s the real deal and would make an incredible Senator. https://t.co/tK8wxKMrOw pic.twitter.com/jENS5jF0j2
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) August 19, 2025
Platner also provided donations to former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sanders. (RELATED: 77-Year-Old Democrat Jumps In 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 like Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Democrat Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Sanders.
Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills also launched a Senate bid on Tuesday, and would be the oldest freshman senator in U.S. history if she secured election in 2026.
The Daily Caller reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment.
Editor’s note: Article updated to clarify the timeline of the posts’ deletion, according to CNN.
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