Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate hopeful from Maine who previously drew criticism for a now-covered Nazi Totenkopf tattoo, is once again under fire after an old Reddit post surfaced in which he denigrated Christianity and described himself as “crudely atheist,” the Washington Free Beacon reports.
In the uncovered message, Platner mocked Jesus Christ as a “zombie” and the Virgin Mary as “a skank.” Responding to a 2008 lawsuit alleging that a soldier was denied advancement for refusing to adopt “fundamentalist Christianity,” Platner questioned, “What units is this s*** in?” He went on to say that during his eight years in the infantry, he had been “about as crudely atheist as one can be,” adding that “zombie Jesus jokes” and “Mary sucking at covering up being a skank” were among the humor he enjoyed during his service.
While the post remains visible online without identifying its author, an archived copy examined by the Free Beacon attributes it to a now-deleted Reddit account tied to Platner. Conservative commentator Greg Price first highlighted the remarks on social media. According to Pew Research, most Maine residents identify as Christian.
Platner’s campaign has already faced a series of controversies over offensive online comments, according to the Free Beacon. His Reddit history includes posts blaming rape victims, calling military officers “gay” and other users “fags,” and sharing anti-police and anti-white sentiments. He also questioned why black people “don’t tip” and claimed that being accused of watching CNN was more offensive than being called a “retard.”
In October, Platner faced renewed backlash when footage showed the Nazi symbol tattooed on his chest, which he reportedly received in 2007 while serving in Croatia with the Marine Corps. He has since covered the tattoo. The fallout has been felt throughout his campaign. Several staffers reportedly resigned amid the mounting controversies.
