Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, a Democrat, is facing renewed scrutiny over a series of past online comments in which he sharply criticized law enforcement, including remarks targeting a local police chief who declined to kneel during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, the Washington Free Beacon reports.
In posts later deleted from Reddit, where Platner used the handle “P-Hustle,” he described police officers as “authoritarian bullies” and, in one instance, used profanity to condemn them following high-profile police shootings. In April 2021, reacting to the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, Platner wrote, “F— these cops,” while in another post that year he argued misconduct was systemic, asserting that troubling incidents reflected deeper problems “into the system itself.”
His criticism extended beyond individual incidents. In a 2018 post, Platner said he was “extremely wary” of relying on local police, characterizing them as “undertrained” and overly “authoritarian.” A year later, he mocked officers and veterans who display the “Punisher” skull symbol, calling them “insecure.”
One of the most pointed episodes came in response to a June 2, 2020, protest in Ellsworth, Maine, held after the death of George Floyd. According to Platner, who lives nearby, roughly 200 demonstrators gathered peacefully as police maintained a presence largely focused on crowd control. When Police Chief Glenn Moshier declined to kneel with protesters—reportedly telling the crowd officers were not permitted to show political views—Platner reacted angrily online.
“Literally the simplest possible gesture to appease the crowd, you don’t even have to say anything. Take a knee for 10 seconds, the crowd would have cheered and clapped and felt like they were part of the same community as the cops,” Platner said. “But no. Just tight lipped thin blue line trash.”
Contemporary local coverage described the Ellsworth protest as calm and orderly, with no clashes between demonstrators and police. Moshier was quoted at the time thanking participants for their restraint during a tense period.
The resurfaced posts are part of a broader pattern of inflammatory remarks from Platner’s earlier online activity. In other comments, he described himself as a “communist,” disparaged rural white Americans as “racist and stupid,” and, in a 2013 post, suggested that women who had been sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility if intoxicated—remarks that have drawn criticism.
Platner has since expressed regret for some of his past statements, attributing them to struggles with PTSD following his military service, as well as depression and alcohol misuse. In a podcast interview, he said he would sometimes post online while intoxicated and angry, adding that those comments do not reflect who he is today. He has also said he began stepping back from Reddit around 2020 and 2021 after returning to his hometown and starting a relationship.
However, he has not directly addressed his past comments about police officers. The issue could pose challenges in his campaign against Republican incumbent Susan Collins, as opponents highlight the tone and substance of his earlier remarks.