Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, a Democrat and former Marine, publicly rejected claims on Monday that he is a “secret Nazi.” This came after he disclosed a tattoo that resembles a Nazi symbol.
Platner’s campaign shared a video that features him lip-syncing to Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” during his brother’s wedding nearly a decade ago. In the video, he is shirtless, displaying a skull tattoo on his chest that looks similar to the Totenkopf symbol associated with the SS from Hitler’s regime.
“I’m not a secret Nazi,” Platner declared. “If you look at my comments on Reddit, it’s clear where I stand against Nazism, anti-Semitism, and general racism. I consider myself a lifelong opponent of those ideologies.”
He explained that he got the tattoo in 2007 while having a wild night out in Croatia with another Marine. According to Platner, the skull and crossbones design is fairly common in military culture and he acquired it prior to joining the Army and receiving security clearance.
“Nobody has ever accused me of being a Nazi in my life,” Platner said. “We only discovered this rumor through an opposition investigation, suggesting I’m somehow linked to the Nazis with concealed tattoos. Honestly, if I were trying to hide this, I haven’t been very successful over the past 18 years.”
After the video went viral, Platner faced backlash, notably from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
They pointed out that the video surfaced shortly after he was arrested for promoting political violence and making disparaging comments about various groups. “What more can happen?” they remarked on social media.
In an interesting twist, while Platner minimized the tattoo’s significance, his former political director, Genevieve MacDonald, expressed on Facebook that she fully understood its implications. She referred to the entire situation as “a really stupid timeline,” acknowledging a belief that Platner, while perhaps not initially aware of the meaning, should have acted more responsibly about it over the years.
Concerns among supporters were evident, with MacDonald stating that “a vault has been opened to crush our collective dreams” and lamenting the challenges facing the party.
Recently, Platner also faced scrutiny due to earlier online comments, including remarks disparaging police and identifying as “communist.” He hinted that those opposing fascism should be prepared with weaponry to defend themselves.
