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FIRST ON FOX: SULLIVAN, ME – Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner declined to apologize both to voters and a Purple Heart recipient when asked by Fox News Digital about a deleted Reddit post where he said the wounded soldier "didn’t deserve to live."

Platner did not respond at first when asked outside a market near his home whether he regrets making the post, which Fox News Digital reported earlier this week showed him mocking a video of Pfc. Ted Daniels taken during a clash with Taliban fighters in 2012 that ended in Daniels being shot four times and being awarded a Purple Heart. 

"I did four tours in the infantry, any attempt to say that I disrespect veterans is slanderous and offensive," Platner said when asked follow-up questions about what he would say to any Maine voters who were offended by his post and if he should apologize to Daniels.

"Do you think you owe him an apology?" Fox News Digital asked again.

UNEARTHED POSTS SHOW DEM SENATE HOPEFUL PRAISING VULGAR GRAFFITI, MAKING CRUDE PORTA POTTY ADMISSION

"Do you know how many of my friends have Purple Hearts, do you know how many of my friends got wounded?" Platner responded, before adding, "yeah, a lot of them, thank you."

Platner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, sparked significant outrage online this week over the resurfaced Reddit post critics have said shows a lack of respect for his fellow soldiers.

"This video never gets old," Platner posted in June 2019 using the Reddit account "P-Hustle," which he has acknowledged owning, in reference to a viral video from the helmet Daniels was wearing while taking enemy fire.

WATCH: COLLINS RIPS MAINE CHALLENGER PLATNER OVER RESURFACED REDDIT POST MOCKING WOUNDED US SOLDIER

"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." 

Rob O’Neill, the U.S. Navy SEAL who is credited with killing Usama bin Laden, was one of many veterans to speak out in response to the post. 

"Mr. Platner was way out of line talking about a soldier that way," O’Neill  told Fox News Digital about the controversy on Thursday.

PLATNER’S BRUTAL ATTACKS ON ARMY SOLDIERS AS ‘FAT, LAZY’ REVEALED IN RESURFACED POSTS

"This is completely barbaric," O’Neill added. "I don't understand. If you swear an oath to the country, it doesn't even matter what the politics are. Every single time you fight it's for the man next to you, it’s for the person next to you. Politics goes out the window. And to wish ill on someone like that under fire is just, you know, like I said, it is the opposite of everything I've ever been raised to believe." 

Platner has previously leaned into his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to explain the numerous incendiary social media posts that have surfaced since he announced his Senate run.

"For those of you who have read these things and been offended, have read these things and seen someone that you don’t recognize, I am deeply sorry," Platner said in October before the post about Daniels, and other posts disparaging the military, were public.

"I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am. I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today."

Daniels himself reacted to the post, telling Fox Business, "People like this don't say stuff like this to my face."

"It's online, and that right there tells me, Graham, you're a coward."

Platner became the Democrats' presumptive nominee after his rival for the nomination, two-term Gov. Janet Mills, ended her campaign last month after trailing Platner in polling and fundraising.

The Democratic Senate Primary in Maine will be held on June 9, where Platner will appear on the ballot alongside Democrat David Costello to earn the right to face off against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

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As states across America prepare to celebrate 250 years as a country, one state is trying to find war heroes to commemorate them.

Historians believe around 7,000 Revolutionary War soldiers are buried throughout Ohio. After the American Revolution, thousands of soldiers were paid parcels of land for fighting in the war. 

Millions of those acres were in what is now, Ohio. As thousands of veterans moved westward for a new beginning, many settled there.

"These veterans are some of our first Ohioans to come to the state," said Krista Horrocks, the project manager, historian and cemetery preservationist with the Ohio History Connection. Horrocks oversees the state's program, Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Project, partnered with America250-Ohio. 

BEHIND THE SCENES: MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE

The project is seeking help from Ohio residents to locate the grave sites of Revolutionary War heroes.

"These guys, they survived, and they moved on, and they moved on and settled here in Ohio with their families," Horrocks said.

To date, the public has documented over 4,100 soldiers throughout the state of Ohio. The deadline is Memorial Day. 

Horrocks knows they will not hit the 7,000 mark "because some of them do have missing grave sites," but the app Survey123 can help get as close to that goal as possible.

Survey123 lists the surveys related to the project and allows users to search in local cemeteries, according to Horrocks. The app can be downloaded on any mobile device.

HONORING FALLEN VETERANS: MEMORIAL DAY

When locating veterans' graves, people can also look up cemeteries with documented Revolutionary War heroes. Once an undocumented grave is located in the app, users can answer a slew of questions related to the cemetery. This includes name, date of birth, date of death and pictures.

Several cemeteries around the state are also doing their part. 

AMERICA 250: CODE TALKERS

"We've had various lists submitted to us over the years of, 'this may be a list of Revolutionary War veterans, or this may be a list'," said Randy Rogers, Executive Director of Green Lawn Cemetery, which he added is the second-largest cemetery in the state of Ohio.

While Green Lawn was established in 1848 – well after the Revolutionary War – Rogers says many families brought their relatives over from other cemeteries. He said other cemeteries closed in the city as the city of Columbus grew. 

As the Memorial Day deadline approaches, Rogers said they have documented nine Revolutionary War heroes on the app for the state project. Though he has identified thirteen, he said the hunt for these veterans can get complicated.

"You know, families take a lot of pride in their veteran and their patriot ancestors," Rogers said. "They may have a marker on the family lot, even though they're buried somewhere else, and they have a headstone somewhere else, but they just have a marker here." 

The group plans to compile a list of the found Revolutionary War veteran graves and post it for the public. Horrocks hopes the end result will mean restored or new historical markers, or gravestones for these heroes that were once forgotten. 

"The whole point of the project is to get really good, accurate data to the public so they can do the best for the veterans in their community," Horrocks told Fox News.

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As millions of soccer fans prepare to travel across North America for the FIFA World Cup, businesses in host cities are already preparing for an international rush of customers.

In Kansas City, one iconic barbecue restaurant expects fans from around the world to line up for burnt ends, brisket and its famous Z Man sandwich between matches.

Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, located inside a former gas station in Kansas City, Kansas, has become one of the city’s best known food destinations.

SEATTLE, VANCOUVER COORDINATE CROSS-BORDER PLANNING FOR 2026 WORLD CUP TOURISM

Restaurant leaders say many visitors traveling from all over make the BBQ joint a "must stop" on their trip.

"We’ll have people who show up, get dropped off by Uber, put their bags behind the counter over there and enjoy," said Victor Brummel, general manager at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que gas station location.

The FIFA World Cup is expected to draw millions of visitors across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with many fans traveling between multiple host cities during the tournament. Kansas City will host six matches, including a quarterfinal.

WORLD CUP TEAMS FINALIZE US BASE CAMPS AS HOST CITIES PREPARE FOR GLOBAL CROWDS

Joe’s said it is already preparing for one of the busiest stretches in the restaurant’s history.

"We are doing a total of 185 slabs of ribs today," one staff member said during a tour of the restaurant’s smokehouse. "For World Cup, for instance, where we’re going to prep probably 400 at each location."

The restaurant also plans to open on Sundays during World Cup games.

"The only thing that’s gotten us to open on Sundays before this is Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl," Brummel said.

AUTOMATIC TIPPING PUSH BRINGS CONCERNS TO MAJOR US CITY AS RESTAURANTS BRACE FOR SURGE OF FOREIGN VISITORS

Along with adding staff and increasing food production, Joe’s is also opening another similar restaurant across the street ahead of the tournament. 

Customers already visiting the restaurant say it is a can't-miss destination for anyone coming to Kansas City.

The tournament opens in Mexico City on June 11 and will feature matches across 16 host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

This is the largest World Cup ever with 48 teams and 104 matches.

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A suspected drug smuggler was arrested off the coast of California this week after federal agents discovered $6.4 million worth of cocaine aboard an oil tanker destined for a Mexican drug cartel.

Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., 43, of the Philippines, was charged with importation of a controlled substance, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced.

Officials said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a joint operation Thursday aboard the Motor Tanker Aquatravesia, a crude oil tanker docked at the Port of Los Angeles.

A Coast Guard narcotics detection canine alerted authorities to suspected contraband, and investigators later confirmed the cargo contained 500 pounds of cocaine worth approximately $6.4 million, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

COAST GUARD CUTTER MUNRO RETURNS TO CALIFORNIA HOME AFTER RECORD-BREAKING 11-TON COCAINE SEIZURE

"This operation highlights Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to combating transnational crime and safeguarding the United States from illicit narcotics," HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang said in a statement.

"HSI’s swift response and investigative expertise were instrumental in identifying and seizing over 226 kilograms of cocaine destined for our communities," Wang continued. "We remain dedicated to pursuing those who attempt to exploit our ports and transportation systems, and to working with our partners to disrupt criminal organizations that threaten public safety."

Capt. Stacey Crecy, sector commander for Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, called the seizure a "testament to the coordinated efforts" of DHS agencies working to dismantle drug-smuggling operations.

BONDI, PATEL ANNOUNCE SEIZURE OF OVER $509M IN COCAINE LINKED TO CARTELS

"Through stellar coordination, we effectively detained the suspect and removed the contraband from the vessel to protect the maritime transportation system and facilitate commerce as quickly as possible," Crecy said.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, authorities received information that the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged Aquatravesia, which last departed from Ecuador, was traveling to the United States carrying a large shipment of drugs intended for a Mexican cartel.

Crew members allegedly discovered numerous packages hidden inside the ship’s garbage room that were believed to contain narcotics, according to the affidavit.

COAST GUARD HELICOPTER SNIPER TAKES OUT NARCO-BOAT ENGINES IN STUNNING EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Prosecutors said the ship’s captain interviewed crew members and learned the drugs allegedly belonged to Gelacio. The captain then moved the narcotics to another part of the vessel.

While the Aquatravesia was still in Mexican waters, the captain was allegedly told cartel members would be waiting roughly 80 nautical miles offshore on the evening of May 14 and the early morning of May 15 to retrieve the drugs, according to the complaint.

If the narcotics were not delivered, additional boats would allegedly intercept the vessel in Mexican waters and recover the contraband.

$20M WORTH OF COCAINE, MARIJUANA INTERCEPTED BY COAST GUARD

Prosecutors also said the captain received radio calls from cartel members attempting to communicate with the Aquatravesia before boarding or seizing the vessel.

U.S. authorities directed the tanker to continue to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where law enforcement boarded the vessel Thursday.

Authorities allege Gelacio received the narcotics in Ecuador and intended to distribute them to another party while the ship traveled near Mexico.

If convicted, Gelacio faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

DHS said two additional individuals were also taken into custody in connection with the operation.

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Voters in Maine are split on whether the many controversies that have followed Democratic Graham Platner’s Senate campaign carry enough weight to sway their vote come November.

To some, the off-color remarks about sexual abuse, terror and race — made years before he launched his Senate bid — are simply the fallout of military service and its strain on the mind.

"I think they’re unfortunate, but coming back from a stressful situation like that, I don’t know what the hell I’d say. So, I’m not going to hold it against him," Joe, a voter from Shapleigh, Maine, told Fox News Digital, alluding to Platner's history as a Marine.

But to others, the comments speak to a character that should not be given a place in Congress.

MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON 'TERRIBLE' POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT

"I think it's kind of ridiculous. I mean, is that all right to say things like that and be, ‘okay, we're gonna vote for him?’ I don't think so," Tina, a voter from Sanford, Maine, said.

Platner’s many comments have drawn public attention in Maine, where he looks poised to become the Democratic nominee to challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. It’s a seat Democrats believe presents a ripe opportunity; a chance to knock off a moderate Republican in a Democratic-leaning state.

Should Platner take the nomination next month — as forecasts seem to indicate he will — Democrats will have to hope that his past remarks don’t turn enough voters away to inadvertently hand Collins a sixth term.

Collins, who first took the seat in 1997, last won reelection in 2020, defeating Democratic challenger Sara Gideon by a 51.0% to 42.4% margin.

Platner, in one resurfaced Reddit post, once blamed rape victims for failing to protect themselves.

"How about people just take some responsibility for themselves and not so f----- up when they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to?" Platner wrote in 2013.

"If you don’t want to be in a compromising situation, act like an adult for f---- sake."

LEFT-WING DEM SENATE HOPEFUL CHEERED ON ANTIFA VIOLENCE IN UNEARTHED RANT: ‘KILL A MOTHERF---ER’

Coupled with an op-ed where he called some terrorists "freedom fighters" and another Reddit post where he called police "bastards," Marg, a resident from Sanford, Maine, believes the pile of incendiary comments should give voters pause.

"I think it’s horrible. He doesn’t have my vote, that’s for sure. Not only does it weigh on me, it weighs on a lot of other people," Marg said.

Christine, a voter from Acton, Maine, said the sexual assault comments are particularly troubling.

"I’m a victim of sexual abuse in the past. That comment really struck home. I know people make mistakes — I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I’m just being honest with saying that I’m kind of turned off by it," Christine said.

To other voters, the comments, while troublesome, aren’t the focus of the election.

"He seems like he’s out for the working man. He is a working man. And he sounds like he’s looking out for us," Ray, a man from Lebanon, Maine, said.

When pressed on Platner’s comments, Ray doubled down on his support.

"No, it doesn’t matter, he’s still getting my vote," he told Fox News Digital.

Still, others said that they had come to expect as much from figures running for Congress. Cathy, a resident of Shapleigh, Maine, said the comments wouldn’t weigh on her.

MAINE PROGRESSIVE SAYS HE WON’T BACK SCHUMER EVEN AFTER DEMOCRATS UNITE BEHIND COLLINS CHALLENGER

"Not really, no. I think all politicians do weird stuff," Cathy said.

Voters in Maine will first decide on their party’s respective nominees through the primary elections on June 9. From there, nominees will face off in the general election on Nov. 3.

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Stephen Colbert officially made his final bow as host of "The Late Show" after 11 years with a star-studded series finale that refrained from getting political.

"This show... has been a joy for us to do for you," Colbert told his audience in the cold open.

"On night one of 'The Colbert Report' back in the day, I said 'Anyone can read the news to you, I promise to feel the news at you.' And I realized pretty soon in this job that our job over here was different. We were here to feel the news with you. And I don't know about you, but I sure have felt it," he said.

A LOOK BACK AT STEPHEN COLBERT'S MOST PARTISAN MOMENTS AS ‘THE LATE SHOW’ HOST

Colbert, who is widely credited for leading the politicization of late-night television, avoided politics in his final show, not even uttering President Donald Trump's name.

Filling the political void was a slew of Colbert's famous friends. Among the cameos were Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, Tig Notaro, Ryan Reynolds, Neil deGrass Tyson, Andy Cohen, Elijah Wood and Jon Stewart, many of whom jokingly demanded to be Colbert's last guest. That honor ended up going to Paul McCartney.

McCartney gifted Colbert a framed and signed photo of The Beatles making their American debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the same studio 62 years ago.

COLBERT'S FINAL YEAR MARKED BY ATTACKS ON TRUMP, LIBERAL TALKING POINTS AND CELEBS KISSING HIS RING

Fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver also offered another sendoff following their joint appearance earlier this month.

Kimmel and Fallon previously announced that they were airing reruns Thursday night in solidarity with their canceled colleague.

STEPHEN COLBERT HAD LEFT-WING JOURNALISTS, HOSTS ON ‘THE LATE SHOW’ MORE THAN 200 TIMES

The extended series finale ended with a musical performance from Colbert, Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste and Louis Cato singing "Jump Up." McCartney later joined them to perform the classic Beatles tune "Hello, Goodbye." 

Colbert's family and "The Late Show" staff also took to the stage for the extravagant sendoff.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND CULTURE NEWS

The cancellation of "The Late Show," which CBS announced last summer, sparked a national debate as Colbert's liberal defenders accused the network of pulling him off the air for political reasons as the announcement came just days after CBS parent company Paramount settled Trump's "60 Minutes" lawsuit. And shortly after the cancellation was announced, Trump's FCC approved Paramount's multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media, which is run by David Ellison, son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison.

CBS maintained that the cancellation was purely a financial decision, a claim Colbert openly rejected on his show in defiance of his corporate bosses. However, it was reported at the time that "The Late Show" was losing the network a whopping $40 million per year.

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Stephen Colbert and I go way back.

I’ve interviewed him many times.

I’ve been on his show, he’s been on my show.

Whether or not you agree with his liberal crusading – and half the country can’t stand it – his final show raised questions about political retribution, a splintered media universe and the crumbling future of late night itself. 

THE ART OF PERFECTION: HOW TRUMP SURVIVES EVEN HIS WORST BLUNDERS THROUGH SHEER REPETITION

Putting aside the cosmic conclusions for a moment, I first interviewed Colbert when Comedy Central was giving "The Daily Show" correspondent an eight-week tryout as host of his own show, and he didn’t know if it would last. He was congenial and about as quick-witted as any comedian I’ve seen, possibly matched by Jon Stewart.

While playing a blowhard conservative anchor on "The Colbert Report," he once took a mild swipe at me. I had reported, factually, on Fox that some Republicans and right-wing media figures were taking shots at Hillary Clinton’s age, 69, and arguing she had a double liability as potentially the first female president.

AOC, RO KHANNA AND THE MEDIA'S RUSH TO FLOG A CONTEST THAT IS 18 MONTHS AWAY

Colbert transformed that into MY declaring that Hillary was too old. That was flat-out wrong, but I know how these things go. 

So I made a great show of being offended and hit back with a sarcastic take: "It’s about time someone took on Stephen Colbert. This guy – a fake anchor if ever there was one – has been maligning hard-working journalists for too long. Journalists like me… Well, two can play this game, buddy." 

(Some of my critics took the shtick a tad too seriously.)

That didn’t stop Colbert from inviting me as a guest when my book "Reality Show" was out. He was friendly and I had a good time. I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked that most of my funny lines were edited out and most of his were kept in.

He was the big star. 

RELATED: COLBERT'S FINAL YEAR MARKED BY ATTACKS ON TRUMP, LIBERAL TALKING POINTS AND CELEBS KISSING HIS RING

Colbert, 62, raised in South Carolina, is a practicing Catholic and former altar boy who has a form of vertigo and, during one taping, was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured appendix.  

Once leaving Comedy Central, he was signed by CBS’s "Late Show" and landed in third place.

But after hiring producer Chris Licht from "Morning Joe," Colbert went fully partisan and fervently anti-Trump. He once called Trump "the Antichrist" (adding that he was joking). He shot up to No. 1. 

That was a double-edged sword. Why deliberately alienate half his audience? It was like drinking a magic elixir that contained a slow-acting poison pill.  

Meanwhile, Colbert’s interviews with the likes of Barack Obama and Joe Biden were, shall we say, rather gentle.

The ratings were good enough that CBS suits tried to sign Stephen to a long-term contract.

But last year, Colbert accused the network of accepting "a big fat bribe." He was referring to CBS paying $16 million to settle a long-shot Trump lawsuit over a deceptively edited "60 Minutes" segment.

This happened to take place as Paramount was waiting for the administration’s approval for its attempted takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery – which, what a surprise, came through a week later.

That’s all it took. Paramount, owned by Trump’s pals Larry and David Ellison, announced the "Late Show" was being canceled. Without so much as consulting with the network’s biggest star or discussing ways to trim his 200-person staff.

Trump exclaimed that "I absolutely love" the move.

This was political retaliation, pure and simple. No one believes the "only for financial reasons" hogwash.

But CBS has turned the long goodbye into a national event, as Colbert has constantly slammed the network. What could the brass do when they’ve already fired him? 

Celebrity guests in the final weeks have included Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen and founding host David Letterman, who helped him throw furniture off the roof to smash the CBS eye logo. (I thought that was a bit cheesy given Colbert’s goal of an amicable parting.) 

Friendly rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon agreed to air reruns last night to shift the spotlight to the curtain call in the Ed Sullivan Theater.

The "Late Show" is being replaced by comedian Byron Allen, who’s vowing to steer clear of politics on his prerecorded show and is actually paying CBS many millions for the airtime. 

And that brings us to the cold hard math. 

Colbert’s show was losing tens of millions of dollars a year. That’s not sustainable. The 11:35 p.m. shows on CBS, ABC and NBC draw a fraction of the audience compared to the days of Johnny Carson, when you actually had to stay up late to watch his needle-both-sides comedy. 

Colbert and Kimmel each drew over 2.5 million viewers and Fallon 1.3 million last quarter, which is not bad in this environment. But Jay Leno, at the peak of his career, was averaging 5 to 6 million.

Now the main impact of these nighttime shows comes from the brief clips that many watch the next morning.

Do I think late-night shows will be around in five years? Sadly, probably not. The digital age has brought round-the-clock competition for eyeballs, from social media to group chats, from podcasts to Substack. All available in seconds on your phone or watch.

That makes me nostalgic, but I also don’t listen to AM radio anymore or have a Walkman. Technology marches on. 

One thing is sure: Stephen Colbert will have no trouble making ends meet.

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