Graham Platner, a U.S. military veteran and oyster farmer, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Maine. He is currently addressing controversial online posts attributed to him, where he referred to himself as a "communist" and suggested that political resistance might involve firearms. These posts, which date back to 2010, were reported by CNN and have since been deleted.

In an interview with ABC News, Platner confirmed that he used the Reddit username P-Hustle. In a 2018 post, he stated that those who expect to combat fascism without a semi-automatic rifle should "do some reading of history." Platner has since apologized for his past comments, explaining that they do not represent his current views. He attributed his harsh language to struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder after his combat experiences in the Middle East, which left him feeling disconnected from society.

"I don't remember making most of these things. You know, I f----- around the internet for a long time," Platner said. He expressed feelings of betrayal regarding the wars he fought in and described a period of disillusionment and alienation. He acknowledged that he sought answers online, which led to posting inflammatory comments.

Platner expressed embarrassment over the posts, stating that they contain language he has not used in years. He noted that crude humor was common in his infantry units, describing it as "meat and potatoes" of military life. In one post, he suggested that the military might cover up sexual assault cases, a claim he later renounced. He admitted that the infantry can be "an intensely misogynistic space" and acknowledged his lack of experience serving alongside women.

"I was speaking on it like I knew what I was talking about when I so very clearly didn't," Platner said. He recognized that the military has a history of covering up sexual assault incidents, despite his previous assertions.

In a 2021 post, Platner commented on the trend of people becoming more conservative with age, stating, "I got older and became a communist." However, he clarified that he does not identify as a communist, instead describing himself as a working-class populist. Platner explained that he used the term humorously to counter those who might label him as such due to his populist views.

"I’m a small business owner and a Marine Corps veteran. I'm the harbormaster … I'm not a communist," he said. "There's an element of, like, I am obviously not that, but they're going to call me that anyways."