Deleted Reddit post mocking wounded soldier draws fire for Maine Senate candidate

A deleted Reddit post from Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner that mocks a U.S. soldier wounded in combat has drawn fresh criticism of his campaign.

The post, made in June 2019 under the username P-Hustle, which Platner has said he owned, referred to helmet-cam video of Pfc. Ted Daniels during a 2012 firefight with Taliban fighters in which Daniels was shot four times. Daniels received a Purple Heart for his wounds.

"Dumb motherf****** didn't deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat ass wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. Poor marksmanship on the Taliban's part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home, he managed to make every possible shit decision possible when it comes to small unit combat," the post said.

The post was later deleted but remains in a database of Platner's old Reddit activity compiled by the Maine Monitor.

Daniels later said he had moved into the open to draw fire away from other members of his unit. He called the move tactically unsound but said he put himself at risk for his fellow soldiers.

Platner, a Marine Corps veteran who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has faced criticism over the post from veterans and Republican groups. Former Navy SEAL and Marine veteran Adam Schwarze, now running for Senate as a Republican in Minnesota, said the post crossed a line.

"We don't make jokes about our brothers and sisters dying, that's not something we do, that's not normal," Schwarze said. He added that while service members sometimes use dark humor in private, posting such comments publicly is different.

"We don't post about our brothers getting wounded in action," Schwarze said.

Schwarze also criticized other posts from the account that called police "bastards," saying such statements do not reflect how most veterans view law enforcement.

National Republican Senate Committee Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said anyone who mocks American soldiers or cheers terrorists has no place in the Senate.

Journalist Magdi Jacobs, who first shared the post online, wrote that Platner showed contempt for fellow service members who were not skilled at killing.

Platner has said his past online comments were jokes or shitposting meant to provoke people. He is the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine after Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. He faces Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the fall election.