Local Media Digs Up More Racist, Disturbing Posts From Progressive Senate Candidate
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More unsavory social media posts have come to light just a day after U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D-ME) disavowed old Reddit posts found by CNN’s KFile, where he called police officers “b*stards” and rural white Americans “racist.”
The Bangor Daily News reported Friday that it dug into more of Platner’s old posts in an online database from 2013 made under the handle, “P-Hustle.” Reporter Sawyer Loftus found that Platner posted on the social media site more than 1,800 times between 2009 and 2021.
In one post, Platner asked why Black people “don’t tip,” while another suggested people concerned about rape shouldn’t get
“so f—-ked up” on alcohol.
According to the report:
Platner responded to a 2013 post on Reddit entitled “What is one question you have always wanted to ask someone of another race,” writing, “Why don’t black people tip?” He worked as a bartender at Tune Inn on Capitol Hill, where he was a guest bartender last month.
“I work as a bartender and it always amazes me how solid this stereotype is,” he wrote. “Every now and again a black patron will leave a 15-20% tip, but usually it [is] between 0-5%. There’s got to be a reason behind it, what is it?”
That same year, he also responded to a post about underwear designed to prevent sexual assault saying people should “take some responsibility for themselves and not get so f—-ked up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to?”
On Thursday, CNN’s KFile reported on a series of posts from 2021 in which Platner referred to himself as a communist, called rural Americans “racist” and “stupid,” all cops “bastards,” and used the word “retard.” He also appeared to condone political violence in a response to a 2018 thread in which a poster wrote about leaving the U.S. because of President Donald Trump’s policies.
“Fight until you get tired of fighting with words and then fight with signs, and fists, and guns if need be,” Platner responded.
When asked by CNN to comment on the now-deleted posts, Platner said, “I don’t think any of that is indicative of who I am today, really. I’m not a communist. I’m not a socialist. I own a small business. I’m a Marine Corps veteran…I can honestly say that that is me just being an a**hole on the Internet.”
Platner, who has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), is running against Maine’s Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) to take on incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
Platner’s office did not respond to The Bangor Daily News’s request for comment on the most recent revelations.
