Graham Platner tries to turn the page on his online comments

Graham Platner is trying to move on from the divisive online posts that threaten to derail his insurgent candidacy for Senate.

The Maine business owner seeking the seat now held by GOP Sen. Susan Collins released a video Friday offering a lengthy explanation and expressing regret for Reddit comments that endorsed political violence, minimized rape in the military and disparaged police.

Platner said his online views were a reflection of his mental state following his return from military service in Afghanistan, and that his views have since evolved.

“When I got back from Afghanistan in 2011, I stayed in the Army for another year. I got out in 2012. Some of the worst comments I made, the things that I’m — I think are least defensible, that I wouldn’t even try to defend, come from that time,” he said in the video message. “When I got out, I still had the crude humor, the dark, dark feelings, the offensive language that really was a hallmark — hallmark of the infantry when I was in it.”

Platner’s social media posts, including messages from as recently as 2021, have gained widespread media attention in recent days.

POLITICO reported Platner suggested political violence is necessary to affect social change in a 2018 post. The Washington Post reported Platner downplayed concerns about sexual assault in posts from 2013. CNN reported he labeled all White Americans in rural areas as racist and stupid in one 2020 post and said all cops are “bastards” in a 2021 post. The Bangor Daily News reported Platner asked why Black people “don’t tip” in a 2013 post.

The Reddit posts were deleted prior to announcing his campaign. Platner acknowledged making the posts and has apologized for them.

Platner said in his video statement that he stopped posting on Reddit “around 2020 or 2021” when he returned to Maine.

“I went from thinking that people were bad to knowing that people are good. I went from thinking that there was no hope to having nothing but hope — a hope that is rooted in the fact that it was in my community, here in Sullivan, Maine, that I got to come home and build a nice life,” he said.

Platner, who’s been endorsed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, is hoping to defeat Senate Democrats’ preferred candidate Gov. Janet Mills and win the party’s nomination in Democrats’ best opportunity to pick up a Senate seat in the midterms.

Republicans quickly dismissed Platner’s video apology.

“Five minutes in which Graham Platner blames HIS FELLOW SERVICEMEN for things he said,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said in a social media post.CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated that Susan Collins is a GOP representative. She is a senator.