WASHINGTON — Seven years ago, Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner cruelly mocked an American soldier who was caught on camera taking fire from the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The viral helmet footage showed how Pfc. Ted Daniels moved into the open as a diversion tactic to help his fellow squad get to safety. But Platner saw him as a “dumb motherf—er” who “didn’t deserve to live.”
“This video never gets old. Dumb mother—er didn’t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat ass wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt,” Platner, then a 34-year-old, chided on his burner Reddit account.
“Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home, he managed to make every possible s— decision possible when it comes to small unit combat.”
That post was made on Platner’s infamous “P-Hustler” account, which has been linked back to him. It was recently uncovered by freelance journalist Magdi Jacobs. Despite Platner’s efforts to scrub his Reddit history, The Post verified the remarks using Pull Push.
Footage of Daniels’ encounter with the Taliban had gone viral years earlier, garnering tens of millions of views. The then-37-year-old father of two later admitted he was embarrassed by the footage but insisted he was trying to save his seven fellow soldiers. He was shot at least four times and earned a Purple Heart.
“You know, tactically, it was not a sound thing to do. But I also remember Murphy’s Laws of Combat. If it’s stupid, but works, it isn’t stupid,” Daniels later told CBS News.
In the terrifying footage, he was shown weathering shrapnel fire and calling out for help as a storm of bullets flew all around him.
“That was a vulnerable moment for me right there. You know, I kind of pride myself on being a tough guy. Not once in my life have I ever cried out like that,” he reflected.
The Post contacted Platner’s campaign for comment.
Throughout his wild campaign for Maine Senate, Platner has championed an anti-war message, reflecting on his time in the Marine Corps during his four combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Oftentimes, he has accused incumbent Sen. Maine Collins (R-Maine) of sending him off to war. Platner had voluntarily enlisted and later worked for military contractor Constellis, formerly known as Blackwater.
Platner has claimed that his views on war evolved over time. He has also expressed regret for many of his Reddit posts that have been unearthed during the campaign.
“It’s called s—posting. It’s when you argue with people on the internet and try to bother them,” Graham previously told Fox News about his Reddit history.
The lefty Maine Democrat has been endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and others.
“Platner’s comments mocking a wounded American soldier prove how morally bankrupt he is as a person and how unqualified he is as a Senate candidate,” National Republican Senatorial Committee national press secretary Bernadette Breslin told The Post.
“Even the online military community downvoted his disgusting post, and veterans are rightly condemning him for it.”
The Post previously reported on how Platner once defended urinating on dead Taliban soldiers, praising war as “the most enjoyable experience.”
The oyster farmer’s other Reddit posts have ignited controversy, showing how he bashed “all” police officers as “bastards,” called rural white Americans “actually are” racist and stupid, and described himself as a “communist.”
Platner has taken heat over a tattoo apparently depicting a Totenkopf or “death’s head” symbol used by the Nazi SS. He claims to have gotten it in Croatia while inebriated in 2007 and denied advance knowledge of its Nazi links.
The Maine Democrat has since inked over it with a “Celtic knot with some imagery around dogs.”
