Platner Tattoo Controversy Deepens in Maine Race

Graham Platner, a Maine Democratic Senate candidate and military veteran, acknowledged that a skull-and-crossbones chest tattoo visible in an old video resembles the Nazi-era Totenkopf and said he got it in 2007 while drunk on leave in Croatia. He denied being a "secret Nazi," pointed to past comments opposing Nazism and antisemitism, and apologized for now-deleted Reddit posts that downplayed military sexual assault and contained derogatory remarks about police, rural voters and Black patrons. Platner initially said he would remove the ink but told the AP he instead covered it with new tattoo work because removal options are limited where he lives in rural Maine. The disclosure prompted skepticism from critics and at least one former campaign staffer who said he knew the symbol's meaning, even as some progressive backers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, have continued to support him. The controversy has intensified scrutiny of his insurgent campaign to challenge longtime Sen. Susan Collins and raised broader questions about vetting, past online conduct and candidate accountability.