Indiana Sen. Jim Banks tore into Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner over now-deleted social posts that mocked a Purple Heart recipient and featured other disturbing content, calling for Platner to quit the race and warning voters about the candidate’s character.

Indiana State Sen. Jim Banks publicly condemned Graham Platner, who is running for U.S. Senate in Maine, after social media posts attributed to Platner surfaced and were later deleted. Those posts included a brutal comment about a wounded veteran and other crude material that reopened questions about Platner’s fitness for office.

The controversy centers on a Reddit post attributed to Platner that targeted Teddy Daniels, a Purple Heart recipient injured during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan in 2012. Platner allegedly wrote that Daniels “didn’t deserve to live,” a line that many found shocking given the veteran’s service and sacrifice.

Platner reportedly refused to apologize for the Reddit post, which intensified the backlash and prompted Republican leaders to speak out. The exact post that circulated online read: “This video never gets old. Dumb motherf****r 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**t decision possible when it comes to small unit combat.”

That kind of language and contempt for a wounded service member landed Platner in hot water across party lines, and it pushed Sen. Banks to demand accountability. Banks labeled the comment as beyond the pale and argued that someone who writes that way about a Purple Heart veteran has no place in a serious Senate race.

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Banks has been blunt about his view of Platner, using harsh language to underline the stakes. “To suggest that a Purple Heart veteran should have been shot and not come home to their family, that’s one of the most disgraceful things I’ve ever seen from any candidate who’s ever run for any office in the United States of America. Platner should drop out of the race. He’s not a serious candidate,” he said.

On broadcast television Banks doubled down, saying, “Susan Collins is going to win this race in Maine by a landslide,” and he warned Democrats that their nominee would be a liability. “The more that the voters get to know Graham Platner, the more that the Democrats are going to realize that they own a really bad candidate, a lunatic candidate,” Banks told Fox News.

Beyond the Reddit episode, other deleted posts attributed to Platner raised additional concerns about judgment and temperament. Reports noted a crude admission tied to public bathrooms and references to a Nazi tattoo on his chest, elements that have complicated his narrative and campaign messaging.

Platner’s behavior has become a focal point in a contest Republicans expect to win comfortably. Conservatives argue the combination of offensive online posts and unrepentant responses makes him a weak standard-bearer for Democrats in a state where incumbents with a steady record can claim broad support.

Supporters of Susan Collins and other Republicans are using the controversy to paint Platner as emblematic of a party that sometimes elevates extremes and poor judgment. On the ground in Maine, critics say the matter is simple: candidates who publicly mock wounded veterans and display inflammatory behavior should not be treated as viable contenders.

The episode also raises broader questions about vetting and accountability in modern campaigns, where past social posts can define a candidate in an instant. Voters are watching how parties respond when nominees have a history of offensive online conduct, and they will weigh those reactions as Election Day approaches.

As the story has unfolded, the debate has moved beyond the original posts to the political consequences they carry. For now, Banks and other Republican voices are making the case that Platner’s conduct disqualifies him from serious consideration and that Maine voters deserve a candidate who shows basic respect for veterans and public service.