Susan Collins Kritik Graham Platner Terkait Perang Irak dan Unggahan Reddit

Senator Petahana Republik Amerika Serikat, Susan Collins, melayangkan kritik tajam terhadap calon senator dari Partai Demokrat, Graham Platner, di Auburn, Maine, pada Kamis, 28 Mei 2026. Ketegangan ini memuncak menjelang pemilihan primer Maine yang menyisakan waktu kurang dari dua minggu.

Collins merespons pernyataan Platner dalam wawancangan dengan New York Times yang menuduhnya ikut bertanggung jawab mengirim tentara ke Irak melalui pemungutan suara resolusi tahun 2002. Platner sendiri merupakan veteran militer yang pernah bertugas di Irak dan Afganistan.

Platner menyampaikan kritik tersebut karena menilai sistem politik Amerika Serikat kerap mengabaikan korban manusia demi kepentingan politik.

"If I have any anger, it is reserved for the political system itself and the people in it who view war not as a thing that has a human toll but as a political game,"

kata Platner kepada Lulu Garcia-Navarro dari New York Times.

Menanggapi klaim tersebut, Collins menegaskan kepada wartawan bahwa keputusan untuk turun ke medan perang sepenuhnya berada di tangan Platner secara sukarela tanpa adanya wajib militer.

"He not only enlisted twice after the war was started, but he also went to work at a security company ... after his term in the service was over,"

ujar Collins.

Collins juga menambahkan bahwa ia sangat menghormati setiap warga negara yang bersedia mengabdi, namun menekankan bahwa Platner mendaftar atas pilihannya sendiri.

"I respect anyone who steps forward to serve their country, but the fact is, that was Platner’s decision to serve,"

tutur Collins menurut rekaman video jurnalis Axios, Alex Thompson.

Collins kembali mempertegas poin tersebut dalam kesempatan terpisah dengan menekankan bahwa sang rival sama sekali tidak dipaksa oleh negara untuk berangkat perang.

"He was not drafted."

ucap Collins.

Pihak tim kampanye Platner langsung merespons pernyataan tersebut pada hari yang sama dengan mengarahkan media Boston Globe ke sebuah rilis pers resmi.

"All these years later, instead of acknowledging that she was wrong, she’s decided that she’s going to blame those of us who, in our late teens and early 20s, signed up to serve our country,"

tegas Platner dalam pernyataan tertulisnya.

Selain masalah Perang Irak, Collins juga menyoroti rekam jejak digital Platner, termasuk sebuah unggahan di platform Reddit pada 5 Juni 2019 menggunakan nama akun P-Hustle yang mengejek seorang prajurit terluka.

Berdasarkan laporan NEWS CENTER Maine dan Maine Monitor yang mengamankan salinan dokumen tersebut, Platner menuliskan kata-kata kasar terhadap tentara yang terluka akibat serangan Taliban di Afganistan pada 2012.

"This video never gets old. Dumb motherf***** 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*** decision possible when it comes to small unit combat."

tulis Platner dalam unggahan yang kini telah dihapus tersebut.

Collins menyatakan dirinya sangat tersinggung dengan kata-kata tersebut, terlebih ayahnya merupakan veteran Perang Dunia II yang menerima dua Purple Heart.

"You have Graham Platner using profanity and saying that this wounded soldier doesn't deserve to live. This soldier was later awarded a Purple Heart for his bravery in taking these bullets, and as the daughter of a World War II veteran who earned two Purple Hearts in the Battle of the Bulge, when my father was wounded just having turned 19, this offends me deeply as well. But I can't tell you the number of veterans who have contacted us to say how deeply offended they were by Platner's comments and how disgraceful they were. These are men and women who are risking their lives for our country and for him to ridicule the soldier and saying that he doesn't deserve to live is just appalling."

kata Collins panjang lebar kepada awak media.

Prajurit yang menjadi target ejekan tersebut, Teddy Daniels, turut memberikan respons melalui sebuah opini yang diterbitkan oleh Wall Street Journal pada hari Kamis.

"I couldn’t care less about the comments he made about me, but they are a reflection of his character. I never thought I’d see the day when Democrats would even consider backing a candidate like this."

tulis Daniels dalam kolom opininya.

Perselisihan kedua politisi ini juga merembet ke urusan anggaran daerah, di mana Platner dalam acara town hall di Phippsburg meremehkan kemampuan Collins dalam mengamankan dana federal untuk Maine.

"It's your job to bring in money. It's your job to get earmarks, so you don't get a gold star for showing up to work,"

sindir Platner pada Rabu malam.

Platner menilai Collins, yang menjabat sebagai Ketua Komite Alokasi Senat, telah membiarkan pemerintahan Donald Trump melemahkan kekuasaan anggaran tersebut.

"When that day came, Maine would see a boon of riches."

tambah Platner mengenai ekspektasi kepemimpinan Collins.

Namun, Platner menyebut realitasnya berbanding terbalik setelah Collins membiarkan kendali itu lepas.

"She has allowed the Trump administration to take all of that power away."

kritik Platner.

Collins langsung membalas kritik tersebut dengan memaparkan bukti rekam jejak keberhasilannya mengamankan dana federal sebesar 1,5 miliar dolar AS untuk ratusan proyek di Maine selama lima tahun terakhir.

"I’ve been able to secure in the last five years $1.5 billion for 674 projects,"

klaim Collins saat menghadiri peletakan batu pertama markas pemadam kebakaran dan polisi di Auburn.

Collins memperingatkan para pemilih bahwa aliran dana bantuan tersebut berpotensi hilang jika posisi senator jatuh ke tangan Platner yang minim pengalaman.

"With my opponent that would go away. That would go away. He would not have the seniority, experience, the knowledge, or the respect in order to secure that funding."

lanjut Collins.

Terkait posisinya yang dinilai bervariasi terhadap agenda Presiden Donald Trump, termasuk sempat berbalik arah menyetujui resolusi penghentian perang dengan Iran, Collins menegaskan bahwa masyarakat Maine bisa membedakan kinerjanya.

"People of Maine distinguished between my record and the record of the president. I support the president when I agree with them. I don't when I do not. An example are the tariffs with Canada. I have voted repeatedly against the tariffs."

jelas Collins mengenai independensi sikap politiknya.

Terakhir, Collins menyatakan ketidaksetujuannya terhadap usulan anggaran dana antisenjata Kementerian Kehakiman senilai 1,8 miliar dolar AS dan renovasi ruang dansa Gedung Putih senilai 1 miliar dolar AS yang diajukan Trump.

"I made very clear that that was something I could not support,"

pungkas Collins sembari menambahkan komitmen bahwa pendanaan ruang dansa baru tersebut harus menggunakan dana swasta sesuai janji presiden.