Combat veteran nearly killed by Taliban fires back at Platner’s deleted online attack: ‘You’re a coward’
Combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Ted Daniels, who was nearly killed by the Taliban, ripped Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner over a resurfaced post in which Platner said Daniels should not have survived.
Speaking to "The Bottom Line" on Thursday, Daniels called Platner a "coward" for hiding behind a keyboard.
"People like this don't say stuff like this to my face," he said. "It's online, and that right there tells me, Graham, you're a coward."
In a now-deleted Reddit post from June 2019, Platner reacted to a viral helmet-cam video showing Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters.
"This video never gets old," Platner wrote under the username "P-Hustle," a deleted Reddit account he has acknowledged owning.
"Dumb motherf---er didn’t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat a-- wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. 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," the post read.
The deleted post can still be found in the Maine Monitor’s database of Platner’s deleted Reddit history.
Platner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is facing mounting backlash over his past online comments, which have drawn criticism from veterans and lawmakers across the political spectrum. His resurfaced Reddit account also featured a stream of vulgar and highly unusual posts that critics say raise broader questions about Platner’s judgment.
"Thank you for your service, Graham, but I think you’re a scumbag personally," Daniels said.
Other resurfaced Reddit posts included Platner describing himself as a "communist" and "socialist," alleged homophobic slurs, and praise for Hamas military tactics.
Daniels said Platner’s comments may stem from personal insecurity.
"Hate never comes from above," he said. "It always comes from below. I don't know if Mr. Platner has an inferiority complex. I don't know if he's disgusted or not proud of his own service because he's out there attacking folks who are proud of their service and have done the right things for the right reason."
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He said he first learned about the post while having coffee with his wife and immediately asked whether it came from a "liberal" before knowing who wrote it.
After his wife confirmed it was Platner, Daniels said the comments "made sense."
"This is what they do. It's the violent rhetoric. It's hateful rhetoric," he said.
Daniels said Platner needed "therapy" for attacking other soldiers, including "American Sniper" and former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whom Platner previously accused of killing civilians to inflate his numbers.
"The comments that he made about me are just one thing. He attacked former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle as well. Chris Kyle's an American hero, he's an icon, the legend," he said.
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He added that Platner’s comments reflect poorly on the military as a whole.
"Everybody thinks that everybody that served in the military is a saint and can do no wrong and that's just not the case," he said.
"Just to have somebody like this involved in our culture in the first place, it's embarrassing for the entire military and veteran community."
Daniels said Platner is contributing to extreme political rhetoric online.
"This man has cheered on Antifa. He has called for violence. He hates cops, and it's like, this is what we're dealing with," he said. "From what I see, it's all behind the keyboard."
He said Platner’s rhetoric and emotionally unstable behavior make him unfit for office.
"This is coming from a man whose party has no idea what a woman is, yet he saw a video of a man online and had an emotional meltdown like a 13-year-old girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend," Daniels said. "Honestly, that's not the type of leadership that we need in our government."
Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. If he wins the June primary, Platner will face five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall.