A Marine veteran running to be the Democrats’ Senate candidate in Maine, Graham Platner, is playing defense after posts were uncovered in which he appeared to endorse political violence and labeled himself a communist. 

Mr. Platner, who now runs an oyster farm, has generated a lot of buzz in the crowded primary, which includes the state’s term-limited Democratic governor and establishment favorite, Janet Mills. 

CNN’s “K-File” uncovered a series of deleted social media posts that were mostly made within the last five years on Reddit under the handle P-Hustle. 

In a 2021 post on a subreddit called “r/Antiwork,” which is dedicated to those who “want to end work,” Mr. Platner responded to one user who said they became more conservative as they got older by writing, “I got older and became a communist.”

In a different post, he described himself as a “vegetable-growing, psychedelics-taking socialist these days.”

“After the war, I’ve pretty much stopped believing in any of the patriotic nonsense that got me there in the first place, and am a firm believer that the best thing a person can do is help their neighbors and live a loving life,” Mr. Platner said. “Still got the guns though. I don’t trust the fascists to act politely.”

Mr. Platner asserted that white people are “racist” and “stupid.”

“Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are,” he wrote in response to one post. 

The Democratic Senate hopeful also said in a post that if people want to “fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, they ought to do some reading of history,” and that an “armed working class is a requirement for economic justice.”

In another post, he said that “all” cops are “bastards.”

All of the posts have been deleted. However, reporters were able to view them through the archives of Reddit posts. 

Mr. Platner disavowed the posts, telling CNN, “That was very much me f— around the internet.”

“I don’t want people to see me for who I was in my worst internet comment – or even frankly who I was in my best internet comment … I don’t think any of that is indicative of who I am today, really,” he said. 

He also told the outlet that he’s “not a communist” or a socialist and “absolutely” loves “the place that I live and I love the people around me.”

“I do actually believe firmly in the idea that we as Americans have a lot in common and that we can be the thing that we want to be the thing that we claim to be,” Mr. Platner said. 

As for his comment about cops being “bastards,” he said, “I have an immense amount of friends who are police officers. They’re not all bastards because they’re literally buddies of mine.”

He also brushed off his comment about white people being racist, saying, “I’m also a white guy and I don’t think I’m a racist. I don’t believe that. I’m sure I was just angry on the internet about the state of things back then.”

Mr. Platner has raised more than $4 million and received the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders.

While the discovery of his past messages threatens to cloud his primary bid, some of his supporters seem undeterred. After CNN reported the posts, Mr. Sanders told reporters on Thursday, “I think Graham stands an excellent chance of becoming the next Senator from Maine. I certainly hope that happens.”

Another senator who supports Mr. Platner, Senator Martin Heinrich, said, “He’s been very straightforward with me that he took a long time to find himself, but I think the person he is today is resonating with working people. If I had to answer for every stupid thing I did when I was young, I might not be here either.”

The discovery of his past posts comes as a different race has been roiled by the discovery of a candidate’s violent rhetoric. The Democratic nominee for Virginia’s attorney general, Jay Jones, has faced criticism after it was disclosed that he suggested the children of the former speaker of the House of Virginia, Todd Gilbert, should die. 

Mr. Jones has apologized for the texts, and members of his party denounced the messages, but they have been reluctant to call for him to drop out of the race.