Democrats in Maine may have thought they found an unconventional Senate candidate in Graham Platner. Instead, they are now finding themselves repeatedly forced to explain away a growing pile of bizarre and deeply controversial online posts that continue surfacing from his past.
The latest revelations involve explicit Reddit comments in which Platner discussed self pleasure inside portable toilets and enthusiastically praised graphic military bathroom graffiti in language many voters are likely to find shocking.
According to reports, Platner wrote in a March 2017 Reddit post that whenever he sits inside a portable toilet, he feels compelled to “jerk off.”
Then, in another post from 2021, Platner reportedly described explicit graffiti he encountered while deployed overseas, praising an image of male genitalia as “beautiful,” “engorged and veiny,” and moving “towards its penetrative glory.”
“Oh s—!!!” Platner allegedly wrote. “You’ve got the Hot Rod C— from Manas!”
The posts are only the latest controversy to hit the Democratic candidate, whose campaign has increasingly become overshadowed by resurfaced social media activity.
Previously uncovered comments included derogatory remarks about rural white Americans, women, and gay people, as well as posts appearing to downplay the seriousness of sexual assault.
In 2019, seven years ago, when he was 34-years-old, Graham Platner logged into reddit and posted a response to a video of an American soldier being shot by the Taliban.
Platner wrote:
“This video never gets old. Dumb motherfucker didn’t deserve to live. At least his stupidity… https://t.co/kxhGr8zOhB pic.twitter.com/l8TQ1XaPRX
— Magdi Jacobs (@magi_jay) May 19, 2026
Platner has consistently defended the remarks by insisting they were intended as internet trolling and dark humor rather than sincere beliefs.
“You should read the comments in context. It’s very clear I’m joking,” Platner previously told Fox News Digital. “It’s called s—posting. It’s when you argue with people on the internet and try to bother them.”
But critics argue the pattern of comments is becoming difficult to dismiss as isolated attempts at edgy humor.
Another resurfaced remark reportedly involved Platner reacting to a combat video in which he harshly mocked a wounded soldier.
“This video never gets old. Dumb motherfucker didn’t deserve to live,” Platner allegedly wrote before criticizing the soldier’s battlefield decisions and mocking him for surviving.
The controversies arrive at a politically awkward moment because Platner unexpectedly became the Democrats’ presumptive Senate nominee after Maine Governor Janet Mills exited the race earlier this year while trailing him in polling.
Despite the growing backlash, Platner has still managed to secure endorsements from major progressive figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
That support is now drawing additional scrutiny as Republicans and conservative media outlets continue digging through the candidate’s online history.
The situation became even more complicated after reports resurfaced regarding a tattoo Platner once had featuring a Nazi-linked symbol.
In 2025, Platner publicly addressed the tattoo and stated he had it covered up after learning of its connection to Nazi imagery. He claimed he originally received the tattoo roughly two decades earlier without understanding its historical association.
Whether voters accept those explanations remains unclear.
So far, Platner’s campaign has not issued a public response to the newest round of revelations.
