Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) is once again facing scrutiny for factually-challenged remarks, this time targeting Sen. Susan Collins (R) over the looming threat to food assistance programs during the federal government shutdown.
Platner posted on X: “The upcoming SNAP cutoff will cause widespread hunger in the richest country on Earth — including 170,000 Mainers, a third of them children. Families. Seniors. Susan Collins is sending children to bed hungry.”
The claim is being criticized for ignoring key facts: SNAP benefits are at risk because of the shutdown itself, not any action taken by Collins. The senator has been working to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funded during the impasse.
In fact, Collins was one of a half-dozen Republican senators who recently introduced a bill to exempt the SNAP program from the Democrat-driven shutdown of the federal government.
This statement is just the latest in a string of over-the-top attacks Platner has directed at Collins. He previously told GQ Magazine that Collins “killed his friends,” a claim that drew national attention and intensified criticism of his rhetoric.
Platner has attributed the backlash surrounding his campaign to what he calls “the political establishment,” often framing himself as an outsider challenging entrenched power. But his language and accusations have increasingly become a centerpiece of the race, raising concerns even among some progressives about his combative style.
The controversy over his SNAP remarks underscores how Platner is using the shutdown to escalate his attacks on political opponents — a tactic that has defined much of his campaign so far. Planter’s post comes just hours after his second campaign manager. Kevin Brown, resigned the position after less than one week on the job.
