Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is under fire after admitting that a tattoo on his chest resembles a Nazi symbol — and pledging to have it removed. The controversy adds to a growing list of scandals dogging the Maine hopeful, including offensive social media posts that recently resurfaced.
Platner, a former Marine, attempted to get ahead of the story during an appearance on Pod Save America, a liberal podcast, by discussing the tattoo himself. His campaign also released a clip of him dancing shirtless, showing the design in question — a skull and crossbones strikingly similar to the “Totenkopf,” an emblem worn by Nazi SS units.
“It was not until I started hearing from reporters and DC insiders that I realized this tattoo resembled a Nazi symbol,” Platner told POLITICO. “I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that — and to insinuate that I did is disgusting. I am already planning to get this removed.”
Platner claims he got the tattoo nearly twenty years ago while drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia, choosing it off a parlor wall. He says it never raised concerns during his time in the U.S. Army, even during background checks or mandatory tattoo inspections for hate symbols.
“In the nearly 20 years since, this hasn’t come up,” he said. “I enlisted in the Army… I also passed a full background check to receive a security clearance to join the Ambassador to Afghanistan’s security detail.”
But not everyone is buying it — including members of his own campaign. Former political director Genevieve McDonald, who recently resigned over his offensive Reddit posts, blasted Platner’s explanation. “Maybe he didn’t know it when he got it, but he got it years ago and he should have had it covered up because he knows damn well what it means,” she wrote on Facebook.
To make matters worse, Jewish Insider reported that an acquaintance recalled Platner referring to the tattoo as his “Totenkopf” — the same term used by the Nazi SS. His campaign has not denied whether he ever used the word.
The Anti-Defamation League confirms that the symbol remains a popular motif among white supremacists, making Platner’s claim of ignorance difficult for many to believe.
This latest revelation follows his apology for a string of inflammatory Reddit posts, including one downplaying sexual assault in the military and another suggesting violence is necessary for social change. Platner has since said the posts came from a “dark period” in his life after his military service, but critics say his explanations show a troubling lack of accountability.
Despite the growing backlash, Senator Bernie Sanders is standing by him. “He went through a dark period,” Sanders said Tuesday. “He’s not the only one in America who has gone through a dark period… I’m confident that he’s going to run a great campaign and that he’s going to win.”
That defense may not sit well with voters in Maine — a state known for valuing integrity and common sense. While Platner insists he’s changed, his past keeps catching up to him. And for Democrats hoping to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins, this self-inflicted crisis could not come at a worse time.
Platner’s controversy highlights a familiar pattern in progressive politics — moral lectures for others, leniency for their own. Maine voters will soon decide whether this is simply a youthful mistake, or another case of the Left’s selective outrage coming home to roost.
