Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing new criticism after declining to apologize when asked about a resurfaced Reddit post mocking a wounded U.S. soldier who received a Purple Heart.
Platner was confronted outside a market near his home in Sullivan, Maine, about a deleted Reddit post in which he criticized Pfc. Ted Daniels, a soldier wounded during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters.
Daniels was shot four times during the battle and later received a Purple Heart.
When asked whether he regretted the post or wanted to apologize to Daniels, Platner initially did not respond. He later defended his military record, saying he served four infantry tours and called any claim that he disrespects veterans “slanderous and offensive.”
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When asked again if he owed Daniels an apology, Platner pointed to the number of friends he said had been wounded or received Purple Hearts.
The resurfaced post, written under a Reddit account Platner has acknowledged owning, referred to a viral helmet-camera video from Daniels’ battle. In the post, Platner mocked Daniels and said he “didn’t deserve to live,” language that has drawn outrage from veterans and political critics.
Rob O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden, condemned Platner’s comments, calling them “barbaric” and saying politics should never override respect for service members under fire.
O’Neill said that soldiers fight for the person next to them and that wishing harm on someone in combat goes against everything he was raised to believe.
Platner has previously apologized for other past social media posts, saying they did not reflect who he is today. He has also discussed struggles with PTSD when addressing past online comments.
However, the post about Daniels surfaced after those earlier apologies, renewing criticism of his campaign.
Daniels responded to the controversy by calling Platner a coward and saying people who make such comments online would not say them face-to-face.
Platner is running in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary. He became the party’s presumptive nominee after former Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign, though he will still appear on the primary ballot alongside Democrat David Costello.
The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.
The controversy adds another challenge for Platner as he tries to move past a series of resurfaced online remarks and convince Maine voters that his past comments should not define his campaign.
Combat vet and Purple Heart recipient Ted Daniels ripping Democrat Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner over a resurfaced post in which Platner said Daniels should have died after nearly being killed by the Taliban.
“Graham, you’re a coward… I think you’re a scumbag… People… pic.twitter.com/IU4YYcfvbq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 22, 2026
