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In reply to the discussion: "You're being lied to about Graham Platner" [View all]ecstatic
(35,128 posts)107. So somehow I've been out of the loop with this entire topic
My attempt to learn:
can you briefly summarize the controversy with Graham Platner within the Democratic party
Graham Platner, a 2026 Maine Democratic Senate candidate, faced significant controversy over past inflammatory Reddit posts and a Nazi-linked tattoo. While leading in polls and pushing a progressive, working-class platform that forced establishment candidates like Janet Mills to drop out, his past, including mocking sexual assault and denigrating police, created severe electability concerns for party leaders.
He has since apologized and secured the nomination, but his history continues to cause concern.
Graham Platner, a 2026 Maine Democratic Senate candidate, faced significant controversy over past inflammatory Reddit posts and a Nazi-linked tattoo. While leading in polls and pushing a progressive, working-class platform that forced establishment candidates like Janet Mills to drop out, his past, including mocking sexual assault and denigrating police, created severe electability concerns for party leaders.
He has since apologized and secured the nomination, but his history continues to cause concern.
How did he mock sexual assault?
Platners mockery of sexual assault primarily involved victim-blaming comments and dismissiveness toward military reporting in a series of 2013 Reddit posts.
His most controversial statements include:
* Blaming Alcohol Consumption: In response to a thread about "anti-rape" shorts, Platner suggested victims should "take some responsibility for themselves" and not get so intoxicated that they "wind up having sex with someone they don't mean to".
* Dismissing Military Reporting Challenges: Platner downplayed the difficulty of reporting sexual assault in the military, calling anyone who believed the military purposefully covered up rape "an idiot".
* Use of Slurs: When another user suggested that units could easily "skirt" investigations, Platner responded by asking if they were "retarded" or "somewhat challenged".
* Skepticism of Systemic Issues: He characterized widespread concerns about military sexual assault as being fueled by people who "once watched 'Invisible War'" (a 2012 documentary on the subject) rather than reality.
Platners mockery of sexual assault primarily involved victim-blaming comments and dismissiveness toward military reporting in a series of 2013 Reddit posts.
His most controversial statements include:
* Blaming Alcohol Consumption: In response to a thread about "anti-rape" shorts, Platner suggested victims should "take some responsibility for themselves" and not get so intoxicated that they "wind up having sex with someone they don't mean to".
* Dismissing Military Reporting Challenges: Platner downplayed the difficulty of reporting sexual assault in the military, calling anyone who believed the military purposefully covered up rape "an idiot".
* Use of Slurs: When another user suggested that units could easily "skirt" investigations, Platner responded by asking if they were "retarded" or "somewhat challenged".
* Skepticism of Systemic Issues: He characterized widespread concerns about military sexual assault as being fueled by people who "once watched 'Invisible War'" (a 2012 documentary on the subject) rather than reality.
How did he denigrate police?
Graham Platners denigration of police centered on aggressive social media rhetoric, most notably the use of the "ACAB" (All Cops Are Bastards) slogan and direct insults toward law enforcement leadership.
Specific Controversial Statements:
* "All of them in fact": In a 2021 Reddit thread discussing police misconduct and systemic corruption following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a user posted "Bastards. Cops are bastards." Platner responded with, "All of them, in fact".
* "Fk these cops": He used this phrase in separate threads to express frustration with police violence.
* "Thin blue line trash": Platner criticized a police chief's attitude during a public event, labeling the officer's behavior as an example of "thin blue line trash".
Graham Platners denigration of police centered on aggressive social media rhetoric, most notably the use of the "ACAB" (All Cops Are Bastards) slogan and direct insults toward law enforcement leadership.
Specific Controversial Statements:
* "All of them in fact": In a 2021 Reddit thread discussing police misconduct and systemic corruption following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a user posted "Bastards. Cops are bastards." Platner responded with, "All of them, in fact".
* "Fk these cops": He used this phrase in separate threads to express frustration with police violence.
* "Thin blue line trash": Platner criticized a police chief's attitude during a public event, labeling the officer's behavior as an example of "thin blue line trash".
Final question that I was cut off in the middle of asking but the AI knew where I was headed....?
Is there any current evidence linking him to...
There is no known evidence linking Graham Platner to extremist or white supremacist groups today. Recent investigations and reports confirm that while his past remains a central point of political attack, he has actively worked to distance himself from those symbols and ideologies.
## Current Evidence & Recent Events (20252026)
The controversy remains "current" due to ongoing political campaigns, but the evidence focuses on his past rather than current affiliations:
* Tattoo Removal/Cover-up: In October 2025, Platner publicly covered the "Totenkopf" tattoo with a new design of a Celtic knot and dogs.
* KFile Investigation (2025): A CNN KFile report uncovered deleted posts and an interview with an acquaintance suggesting Platner may have been aware of the symbol's controversial nature in military circles earlier than he claimed. However, this investigation highlighted past defensive comments rather than any current membership in extremist groups.
* Primary Victory (May 2026): As of late April 2026, Governor Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign, effectively making Platner the Democratic nominee. This suggests that while leadership was initially wary, they are now coalescing around him for the general election.
## Endorsements and Defenses
* Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren: Both Senators Sanders and Warren have maintained their endorsements, with Warren stating she believes his apologies are sincere and reflect personal growth.
* Chris Van Hollen: The Maryland Senator defended Platner as a veteran who struggled with PTSD but has since "learned from his mistakes".
There is no known evidence linking Graham Platner to extremist or white supremacist groups today. Recent investigations and reports confirm that while his past remains a central point of political attack, he has actively worked to distance himself from those symbols and ideologies.
## Current Evidence & Recent Events (20252026)
The controversy remains "current" due to ongoing political campaigns, but the evidence focuses on his past rather than current affiliations:
* Tattoo Removal/Cover-up: In October 2025, Platner publicly covered the "Totenkopf" tattoo with a new design of a Celtic knot and dogs.
* KFile Investigation (2025): A CNN KFile report uncovered deleted posts and an interview with an acquaintance suggesting Platner may have been aware of the symbol's controversial nature in military circles earlier than he claimed. However, this investigation highlighted past defensive comments rather than any current membership in extremist groups.
* Primary Victory (May 2026): As of late April 2026, Governor Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign, effectively making Platner the Democratic nominee. This suggests that while leadership was initially wary, they are now coalescing around him for the general election.
## Endorsements and Defenses
* Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren: Both Senators Sanders and Warren have maintained their endorsements, with Warren stating she believes his apologies are sincere and reflect personal growth.
* Chris Van Hollen: The Maryland Senator defended Platner as a veteran who struggled with PTSD but has since "learned from his mistakes".
So based on that information, I see some contradictions in his character. On one hand, there's definitely an authoritarian mindset when it comes to the military sexual assault issue. His comments lacked compassion for women and automatically took the side of the institution. The comments about personal responsibility will probably resonate with a large percentage of the population, but both sentiments can be true: that the military systematically covered up or helped rapists and that some of the situations were avoidable.
However, his authoritarian mindset seems to slip away when it comes to the police - it seems he's able to clearly see and acknowledge the problems within that institution without qualifiers.
So this discrepancy could indicate a little bit (or a lot) of sexism or a lack of empathy with regard to others who face institutional oppression that he hasn't personally dealt with.
In my opinion, his mindset is more associated with conservative / republicans, so it does make me wonder why he's running as a Democrat. Is the republican machine so heavily invested in Collins, perhaps due to the purple nature of the state, that he didn't see a way in?
However, his endorsements from Bernie and E Warren are telling, as they both have personalities that are slightly outside of the personality types typically associated with our party. I really didn't like Warren in the beginning but then during tRump's first presidency, she came to the forefront as a leader and I was able to see how those characteristics play out when we're at war. She's a fighter! We are many things, I believe we are the smarter group, but a lot of times the fight just isn't there due to our wiring.
I don't live in Maine, but at this point, our hands are a little tied. He is the nominee, and he might bring the type of change that we need at a time like this. I say, vote for him because Collins is clearly compromised and we know that. Platner is the unknown, obviously. Hopefully, he's not worse. I guess we'll have to see.
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Platner knows the truth about the robber barons and Wall Street. This is why the POB will oppose
PatrickforB
Friday
#1
LOL, I'm sorry! That is me being full of you-know-what. I meant powers that be. As in
PatrickforB
Friday
#23
And Maine voters seem perfectly happy to elect him as the Democratic nominee. Nt
Fiendish Thingy
Friday
#64
People who served in the Marines knew in 2007 that a totenkopf was an unacceptable tattoo. Platner himself would have
WhiskeyGrinder
Friday
#12
Interesting, I was under the impression he had shopped around NG units until he found someone to write a very generous
WhiskeyGrinder
Friday
#28
"Talk tonsomebody who served in his unit or an adjacent one." Are there interviews with people he's served with?
WhiskeyGrinder
Friday
#30
There are plenty enough probably on this site (not necessarily from his unit) but
SSJVegeta
Friday
#34
Oh I didn't mean culture-wise. I'm very familiar with that. I just meant is there was anyone who could vouch for him as
WhiskeyGrinder
Friday
#39
Yeah in that case you are right. Nobody has publicly come out and endorsed him who served in his unit (AFAIK).
SSJVegeta
Friday
#46
They have a very "work hard play hard" culture -especially the 3/8ths (3rd battallion 8th Marines))
SSJVegeta
Friday
#42
And despite the many complaints, Fetterman's a lot better than having Mehmet Oz in the Senate.
sop
Friday
#21
I have a feeling he's worried because his wife was an undocumented migrant from Brazil
Ritabert
Friday
#44
Like The People, he's flawed, imperfect, passionate. Liberal elites "vilify" The People, "crass and offensive."
betsuni
Friday
#11
Platner's not perfect, but there is no such thing as the perfect candidate. He is however, a strong candidate to oppose
Fil1957
Friday
#13
Nothing about his comment about Blacks being bad tippers, either. He was 29 years old at the time...
QueerDuck
Friday
#22
I understand or accept that Platner is likely to be the Democratic nominee, he isn't yet, but he is likely
Quiet Em
14 hrs ago
#75
I absolutely understand the importance of flipping this Maine Senate seat blue
Quiet Em
14 hrs ago
#79
Platner is the strong favorite, with one poll showing him leading with 46% support compared to 4% for Costello
Emile
13 hrs ago
#82
Things are very seldom black/white good/bad. People need to be taken as a whole.
Martin Eden
Friday
#33
Hmmm. I wonder if the Totenkopf tattoo has anything to do with it. Or the misogynistic comments, or the ...
QueerDuck
Friday
#53
I mean my acceptance started at the passive aggressive and quickly morphed into full fledged support
SSJVegeta
23 hrs ago
#66
I'm beginning to think some people would prefer conservative Susan over Platner. We have
Emile
14 hrs ago
#77
Having Fetterman (D) in the Senate is actually better than having Dr. Oz
thought crime
13 hrs ago
#85