Susan Collins Kritik Graham Platner Terkait Pernyataan Perang Irak

Senator petahana AS dari Partai Republik, Susan Collins, melayangkan kritik tajam terhadap penantangnya dari Partai Demokrat, Graham Platner, di Auburn, Maine, pada Kamis, 28 Mei 2026.

Kritik tersebut mencuat setelah Platner menyatakan dalam wawancara dengan New York Times bahwa Collins ikut bertanggung jawab mengirimnya ke medan perang melalui voting resolusi Perang Irak tahun 2002.

Collins merespons klaim tersebut dengan menegaskan bahwa keikutsertaan Platner dalam militer merupakan keputusan pribadi sang kandidat, bukan karena wajib militer.

"Our national team will play its friendly match against Andorra at 7:00 PM today, Friday, in preparation for the World Cup finals." kata Asosiasi Sepak Bola Irak dalam pernyataan tertulis tersebut.

Pernyataan dari asosiasi tersebut menjadi bagian dari dinamika pengawasan publik terhadap rekam jejak para tokoh.

"that was Platner’s decision to serve." kata Collins kepada jurnalis.

Senator veteran tersebut kemudian membeberkan rincian mengenai riwayat pendaftaran kedinasan penantangnya.

"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," kata Collins mengenai Platner.

Di sisi lain, Platner mengarahkan kritiknya langsung kepada sistem politik yang dianggapnya mengabaikan dampak kemanusiaan dari peperangan.

"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.

Collins kembali menekankan bahwa keterlibatan sukarela dalam dinas militer sepenuhnya merupakan pilihan individu yang bersangkutan.

"I respect anyone who steps forward to serve their country, but the fact is, that was Platner’s decision to serve," kata Collins kepada para wartawan.

Ia menambahkan penegasan mengenai status kedinasan Platner kala itu.

"He was not drafted." kata Collins seperti dilansir dari rekaman yang diunggah reporter Axios, Alex Thompson.

Menanggapi pernyataan tersebut, tim kampanye Platner merilis pernyataan tertulis yang menuduh Collins menghindar dari tanggung jawab atas keputusannya di masa lalu.

"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," kata Platner dalam pernyataan resminya.

Perselisihan ini juga melebar ke isu kemampuan penggalangan dana daerah, di mana Collins memamerkan keberhasilannya mengamankan anggaran federal.

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

Ia menyatakan bahwa perolehan dana tersebut terancam hilang jika posisinya digantikan oleh pendatang baru.

"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." kata Collins.

Platner sebelumnya meremehkan pencapaian tersebut dalam sebuah acara diskusi warga di Phippsburg.

"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," kata Platner.

Ia berargumen bahwa ekspektasi masyarakat Maine terhadap pelonjakan anggaran belum terealisasi sepenuhnya.

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

Platner juga menilai posisi tawar legislatif tersebut telah melemah akibat dinamika politik internal.

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

Tensi politik semakin memanas ketika Collins menyoroti rekam jejak digital Platner di platform Reddit dari tahun 2019 yang dinilai menyinggung para veteran.

"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 menggunakan akun samaran yang dilaporkan oleh Maine Monitor.

Collins menyatakan bahwa pernyataan kasar tersebut sangat melukai perasaan komunitas militer dan veteran perang.

"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 New Center Maine.

Prajurit yang menjadi sasaran komentar tersebut, Teddy Daniels, turut memberikan tanggapan melalui sebuah opini di Wall Street Journal.

"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.

Di tengah perdebatan domestik ini, Collins juga menegaskan sikap politiknya yang independen terhadap beberapa agenda kebijakan Presiden Trump.

"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." kata Collins.

Klarifikasi tersebut juga mencakup penolakannya terhadap alokasi anggaran khusus untuk ballroom Gedung Putih.

"I made very clear that that was something I could not support," kata Collins mengakhiri penjelasan mengenai posisinya.