Democrats 'selling their soul' to embrace Platner are in for rude awakening with Maine voters: GOP lawmaker

Republican Senator Stewart Criticizes Democratic Support for Platner Amid Controversial Social Media Posts

Maine Republican state Senator Trey Stewart is speaking out against what he calls a dangerous shift in the Democratic Party, specifically targeting their support for Senate candidate Graham Platner.

Stewart, in an interview, expressed concern that Democrats are compromising their values by backing Platner, who has faced intense scrutiny over resurfaced social media posts. The controversy includes deleted Reddit content where Platner described himself using terms like "communist" and "socialist," along with alleged homophobic slurs and disparaging remarks about military personnel.

"The voters care a lot," Stewart said, emphasizing that Maine residents are paying close attention to the mounting criticisms surrounding the Democratic candidate.

The most damaging revelation involves a 2019 post where Platner mocked Purple Heart veteran Teddy Daniels, who was shot four times during a 2012 engagement with Taliban fighters. Platner reportedly wrote that Daniels "didn't live to deserve" something, a comment that has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans across the state.

Stewart didn't mince words about the situation. "He's a flash in the pan for right now amongst extreme liberal Democrats who can't see past defeating Susan Collins at any cost," Stewart said. "What they're really doing is selling their soul to somebody who has a tattoo that's affiliated with the Nazis on his chest, has made slanderous remarks, really pretty ugly and horrifying remarks about veterans who have been injured in combat, racist and bigoted statements that were misogynist."

Despite recent polling showing Platner leading the race, Stewart expressed confidence that five-term incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins will ultimately prevail in November. Stewart pointed to Maine's reputation as a middle-of-the-road state with a history of rejecting extreme candidates on either end of the political spectrum.

"Maine people don't subscribe to that line of thinking that Mr. Platner does," Stewart said. "Susan Collins, who is one of, if not the most influential votes in the United States Senate, and certainly an incredible influence financially and otherwise for the state of Maine, is going to be victorious."

The Republican senator noted that Collins has navigated similar challenges before, pointing to her 2020 re-election campaign where she consistently trailed former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, sometimes by double digits in polls, before ultimately winning in one of the most expensive Senate races in the state's history.

When asked about Platner's response to the controversy, Stewart was direct. "This is not the right course of action that he should be taking," he said. "If anything, he owes a number of apologies to the people who he has said highly offensive things to. But beyond that, certainly United States Senate is something that is completely out of grasp for an individual like this."

"He really just needs help," Stewart added. "He doesn't need a seat in the United States Senate."

Stewart went further in his criticism, suggesting the situation reflects broader problems within the Democratic Party nationally. "I find it highly embarrassing that this is where the Democrat party is, not just in the state of Maine, but across the country at this point, with the most extreme sort of tail-wagging-the-dog effect," he said. "Maybe that is the direction that the Democrat party in Maine and in our country is going. If it is, then ultimately that's going to be a very dangerous place for them and a very dangerous place for our country."

Platner, who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has declined to apologize or express regret for the comments when confronted by reporters over the weekend.

The controversy comes after Democratic Governor Janet Mills announced she would end her campaign for Senate last month, leaving Platner as the Democrats' presumptive nominee following the June 9 primary. He will face Collins in the November general election.