Copyright New York Post
Graham Platner, a Marine vet who’s running for a US Senate seat in Maine, said he was “very inebriated” when he got a tattoo linked to Nazism while on leave in Croatia nearly 20 years ago and insists he’s “not a secret Nazi.” The liberal candidate, 41, went out of his way to disclose the controversial skull tattoo on the right side of his chest as he shared an embarrassing video that shows him singing in only briefs at a wedding celebration for his brother. The Democratic oyster farmer, in an apparent attempt to get ahead of bad press, said he was on leave with fellow Marines in Croatia in 2007 when he got the questionable ink, which appears to resemble the “Totenkopf” — an image adopted as a symbol by Hitler’s Schutzstaffel, or SS. “We got very inebriated, and we did what Marines on liberty do, and we decided to go get a tattoo,” he explained on the “Pod Save America” show. “We chose a terrifying-looking skull and crossbones off the wall because we were Marines and, you know, skulls and crossbones are a pretty standard military thing, and we got those tattoos, and we all moved on with our lives,” Platner explained. “I am not a secret Nazi,” the Bernie Sanders-backed candidate insisted, claiming he was unaware the tattoo had potentially sickening connections to Nazism. He said the tattoo never raised any red flags, including when he joined the Army National Guard. The Army prohibits ink that is extremist, racist or sexist. “It never came up until we got wind that in the opposition research somebody was shopping the idea that I was a secret Nazi with a hidden Nazi tattoo,” he told “Pod Save America” host Tommy Vietor. Platner has also faced a tornado of bad publicity after his old Reddit posts surfaced, which include labeling all police “bastards,” describing rural white Americans as “actually” stupid and racist — and once calling himself a “communist” around 2021, according to CNN. He claimed on “Pod Save America” he was “trying to get a rise” out of people online when he made the posts. “I posted on the internet for a long time when I was at a point in my life where I was looking for a lot of, I’d say, a lot of community, looking for an outlet,” he said. “I had an immense amount of disillusionment, an immense amount of anger.” He also reportedly asked in a post why black people don’t tip, which he claimed was a genuine question about a possible cultural explanation and not malicious. He additionally insinuated sexual assault survivors should “take some responsibility for themselves” — a remark he said on the podcast he now regrets. He said that the offensive postings came after he was discharged from the military and struggled with mental health issues like PTSD. “For those of you who have read these things and been offended, have read these things and seen someone that you don’t recognize, I am deeply sorry,” he said in a social media post Friday. Platner is eyeing the Democratic nomination next year, but will need to get through Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who announced her bid earlier this month. Democrats are looking to take control of Republican Susan Collins’ seat. Despite the outcry over Platner’s past comments, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders reportedly signaled he’ll continue to back the “excellent” political newcomer. The Post has sought comment from Sanders’ office.
