A Candidate's Past Tattoo and Online Posts Spark Debate

Graham Platner, a Democratic hopeful for the U. S. Senate in Maine, found himself in hot water over a tattoo he got years ago. The tattoo, a skull and crossbones, is linked to Nazi symbolism. Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, said he got the tattoo while drunk in 2007 and had no idea about its extremist ties. Platner spoke about the tattoo on the podcast Pod Save America. He admitted he had seen the tattoo in a video from a decade ago, where he was dancing shirtless at his brother’s wedding. He clarified that he is not a Nazi and has always opposed antisemitism and Nazism. Platner also addressed old Reddit posts that caused controversy. These posts, made between 2009 and 2021, included comments about sexual assault in the military, police, and rural white Americans. He said he was horrified by some of his past words and that he was going through a tough time after his military service. Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, criticized any connection to Nazi ideology in public figures. Platner said he plans to remove the tattoo and that he never hid it, even during his Army enlistment physical. He also mentioned that no one had told him about the tattoo’s Nazi links until recently. Senator Bernie Sanders, who endorsed Platner, stood by his support. Platner believes people can grow and change over time. He acknowledged that everyone has posted something stupid online at some point.