Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate hopeful from Maine, expressed regret over getting a tattoo that appears similar to a Nazi symbol nearly two decades ago and posted it on Reddit, which has resurfaced. Platner said that he planned to remove the tattoo after questions were raised, including from a former top campaign staffer, about how he could have been unaware of its connotations.Platner’s campaign sought to preempt opposition research regarding his tattoo, which resembles a Nazi skull and crossbones, during an appearance on the liberal podcast Pod Save America on Monday. His campaign shared a video of him dancing shirtless. Platner stated that he was unaware of any Nazi link when he got the tattoo.He emphasized in the interview that he was “not a secret Nazi” and pointed to his Reddit comment history as evidence of his opposition to Nazism, antisemitism and racism. “I would say a lifelong opponent,” he stated.The tattoo revelation came after Platner apologized last week for a series of offensive Reddit posts spanning 2013 to 2021. On Friday, he issued a video apology for posts like calling police officers “bastards”, questioning why Black people tip less, and appearing to agree with characterizations of rural white voters as “racist” and “stupid”. “It was not until I started hearing from reporters and DC insiders that I realized this tattoo resembled a Nazi symbol,” Platner said in a statement to POLITICO on Tuesday. “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 reiterated that he obtained the tattoo while out drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia, choosing the skull and crossbones off a wall at the tattoo parlor. He claimed the similarity to Nazi iconography never arose, including during physical examinations mandated by the US Army, which prohibits tattoos of identified hate symbols. “In the nearly 20 years since, this hasn’t come up,” Platner said.
What is Totenkopf ?
The tattoo in question resembles the Totenkopf, or “death’s head” symbol. “Totenkopf” is a German word typically referring to an image of a skull and crossbones. During the Nazi era, one form of the image was adopted by Hitler’s SS during the Nazi era and became particularly associated with the SS-Totenkopfverbande, the branch responsible for guarding concentration camps, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Who is Graham Platner?
Graham Platner is a Marine and US Army veteran, oyster farmer, and chair of the Sullivan Planning Board, now running for US Senate in Maine to challenge Susan Collins and reclaim the seat for working Mainers.After graduating high school in 2003, amid the Iraq War, Graham secretly took his birth certificate from his father’s office to enlist in the US Marine Corps. Following infantry training, he joined Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion 8th Marines, and deployed to Al-Anbar Province, Iraq, in January 2005, operating primarily east of Fallujah. In 2006, he served as a machine gun section leader in Ramadi’s Government Center and returned for a third deployment in 2007. Using the GI Bill, Graham enrolled at George Washington University after his deployments, but his military service wasn’t over. In 2009, he joined the Maryland Army National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as a rifle team leader. Returning from Afghanistan in 2011, Graham resumed studies at George Washington University but struggled with undiagnosed PTSD and combat-related physical challenges. He eventually withdrew and moved back to Maine, where he used VA resources to get the support he needed. After four overseas tours and growing disillusionment with America’s foreign policy, Graham shifted his focus to serving his local community. In 2018, he began working at a friend’s small oyster farm in Sullivan, Maine, and eventually took it over, growing it into a thriving business. He also started a diving and mooring service for the bay and serves as Sullivan’s Harbormaster and Planning Board Chair. In 2023, Graham met Amy Gertner, fell in love, and married her soon after. The couple lives in Sullivan—just three doors down from where Graham grew up—with their two dogs, Gryffin and Zevon, and their cat, Neptune.
