Veterans Blast Democrat Senate Hopeful for Calling Army ‘Trash’ and Mocking Wounded Soldier [WATCH]

Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner is learning the hard way that calling American soldiers “fat, lazy trash” and mocking a wounded Purple Heart hero does not go over well with the veteran community.

The Maine hopeful’s resurfaced Reddit posts have sparked a revolt among the men and women who actually wore the uniform he casually insulted.

Platner, who is trying to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes 2026 race, has long touted his own service in the Marines and the Army.

But the tone of his old online posts suggests a different view of the military than most Americans would find tolerable.

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In one now-deleted thread, Platner wrote that the Army was “full of fat, lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.”

In another, he went much further, ridiculing a soldier who survived being shot four times by the Taliban, saying the man “didn’t deserve to live.”

That soldier was Ted Daniels, a U.S. Army veteran whose helmet camera captured the firefight that nearly killed him in Afghanistan in 2012.

Daniels was hit multiple times and awarded the Purple Heart for his valor.

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Platner’s sneering insults toward a man who bled for his country stunned other veterans, especially those who carry the same scars of combat.

“As a Purple Heart recipient myself, I find his comments especially vile,” said an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran named Steve, who asked that his last name be withheld.

“Mocking a fellow American that took enemy fire to protect his squad shows a lack of basic understanding of brotherhood and selfless service.”

Another veteran, Holland “Ricky” White, who served with the legendary 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, said the attacks cut deep.

“That is why comments like Graham’s are so offensive,” White told Fox News Digital.

“I was ridiculed as a Vietnam veteran and as a black man. I lost friends over there, and it still hurts to talk about them.”

Platner’s words have triggered bipartisan condemnation from fellow veterans now serving in Congress.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who saw combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom, minced no words.

“Mocking servicemembers for getting wounded or killed is absolutely despicable,” she said.

“These are our brothers and sisters, people who volunteered to put everything on the line for this country.”

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, another combat veteran, labeled Platner’s record “disgraceful,” noting that such attacks on American heroes are typical of “a communist with a Nazi tattoo.”

Platner previously admitted to covering an old symbol on his arm that resembled a Nazi emblem, an issue that already had Maine voters questioning both his judgment and his values.

Retired Navy SEAL Bill Brown reminded voters exactly why this matters.

“A Senator votes to send soldiers to war, confirms the generals who lead them, and funds the equipment that protects them,” Brown said.

“Platner’s own words prove he cannot be trusted to do right by those who protect us.”

Kate Monroe, CEO of VETCOMM and a Marine Corps veteran, echoed those thoughts.

“Being a veteran does not make someone honorable,” she said.

“Honor is how you carry yourself and how you treat others. In this case, the uniform may have been earned, but respect clearly was not.”

John Rourke, a retired Army staff sergeant, was even blunter. “Platner’s mockery does not make him edgy or tough, it makes him a disgrace to the uniform,” he said.

Platner has tried to position himself as the Democrats’ answer to Sen. Susan Collins, painting himself as an independent-minded Marine turned oyster farmer who understands everyday Mainers.

But the resurfaced Reddit posts have defined him far differently, as a foul-mouthed extremist who ridicules the very people he claims to represent.

His campaign has refused to respond to repeated requests for comment.

The controversy could not come at a worse time for Democrats, who have struggled to find viable candidates in reliably red-leaning Maine.

Platner’s candidacy was already in trouble after reports showed him cheering on Antifa violence online and joking about sexual exploits abroad.

Now, with veterans across the country calling for his withdrawal, the political damage appears to be spreading.

Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, a Marine himself, reminded Platner of the code that real Marines live by.

“The motto of the Marine Corps is Semper Fidelis, always faithful,” Sullivan said. “That means fidelity to Marines and fellow service members.”

Maine voters are left with a candidate who mocks the faithful while claiming the title for himself.

For someone who claims to value honor and service, Platner’s words tell a different story—one that reveals contempt, not loyalty.

As more veterans speak out, it is clear that Platner’s political future is faltering.

His campaign may have started on the docks of an oyster farm, but it is sinking fast under the weight of his own bile.

If this is how he treats American heroes, it is no wonder the nation’s warriors are uniting to make sure he never sets foot in the United States Senate.

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