Collins Condemns Platner Over 2019 Posts Mocking Wounded Soldier as $4 Million Attack Campaign Grows
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 21
Collins Condemns Platner Over 2019 Posts Mocking Wounded Soldier as $4 Million Attack Campaign Grows
5 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 21
Susan Collins called Graham Platner’s resurfaced 2019 Reddit comments about wounded Army soldier Ted Daniels “just appalling,” saying it is never appropriate to mock a downed American service member.
The posts, tied to a deleted account Platner has previously acknowledged owning, attacked Daniels after a helmet-camera video showed him being shot four times in a 2012 firefight with Taliban fighters.
Collins said there were so many controversial Platner posts that reporters would need to narrow the question, underscoring broader scrutiny over lewd and inflammatory comments that have surfaced since last year.
A pro-Collins super PAC launched a website Wednesday compiling Platner’s alleged “red flags,” part of more than $4 million already spent on attack ads in one of Republicans’ most competitive 2026 Senate defenses.
If both candidates win next month’s primaries, Collins and the presumptive Democratic nominee will meet in Maine’s Nov. 3 general election, a race central to the fight for Senate control.
How does a candidate's military record affect voter views on their controversial remarks about another soldier?
In an era of digital archives, what is the path to political forgiveness for past offensive statements?