Sen. Bernie Sanders snapped at a Fox News Digital reporter this week when asked about resurfaced Reddit posts tied to Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, telling the reporter to “get a better job” instead of directly addressing the controversy.
The exchange happened as Sanders walked through the Capitol and was questioned about offensive and vulgar comments allegedly made by Platner on Reddit over a period spanning more than a decade. After asking the reporter who they worked for, Sanders responded, “Why don’t you talk to your owner Mr. Murdoch and ask him for a raise so you can get a better job.”
Sanders endorsed Platner in August 2025 and has largely stood by the progressive candidate despite growing scrutiny surrounding his online history.
Other Senate Democrats appeared reluctant to engage with the controversy as well. Some claimed they had not seen the posts, while others simply declined to comment on whether the revelations could damage Platner’s campaign against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said he had not followed the issue closely enough to weigh in.
“I haven’t seen it,” Blumenthal told reporters. “I’m not following it. Sorry.”
Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, also avoided taking a stance, saying he does not intervene in Senate races in his home state.
“That’s my practice since I’ve been in the Senate,” King said.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) similarly brushed aside questions about the matter, while Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) argued that Maine voters should ultimately decide whether Platner’s past comments disqualify him from office.
“The people of Maine get to choose who they want to represent them in the U.S. Senate,” Merkley said. “That’s what a democracy is all about.”
Merkley also noted that he had not personally reviewed the posts in question.
The controversy surrounding Platner has intensified in recent weeks as additional comments resurfaced from an old Reddit account known as “P-Hustle,” which Platner has acknowledged was his. The posts reportedly stretch from 2009 through 2021 and contain a mix of vulgar, inflammatory, and controversial remarks.
Among the most widely circulated posts were comments about masturbating in portable toilets and mocking a wounded Purple Heart recipient. Earlier reports also highlighted posts in which Platner allegedly suggested rape victims should bear some responsibility for assaults and praised Hamas tactics in online discussions.
One resurfaced post read: “I still have to jerk off every time I sit in a porta-s—-er… that blue water smell conditioned me.”
The full archive reportedly includes more than 2,000 posts and has been compiled in an online database by the Maine Monitor.
Platner has attempted to explain the posts publicly, describing them as products of a dark and unstable period in his life following military deployments and struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. Platner served three tours in Iraq with the Marine Corps and one tour in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army.
Supporters have pointed to his military service and mental health struggles as context for the comments, while critics argue the posts raise serious concerns about his judgment and temperament.
Merkley referenced that explanation when asked about the controversy, saying Platner has “explained his journey and his evolution and his PTSD from the war,” before again emphasizing that voters in Maine would ultimately decide whether those explanations are enough.
The controversy now threatens to become a larger issue in Maine’s Senate race as Republicans continue highlighting the resurfaced comments and pressuring national Democrats to either defend or distance themselves from Platner.
