Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine said he plans to remove a tattoo on his chest after learning that it resembles a Nazi-era symbol once worn by Adolf Hitler’s troops.
The revelation has stirred controversy in a race already marked by questions about character and judgment.
“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.”
The tattoo, visible in a resurfaced family video, appears similar to a Totenkopf, or “death’s head,” a skull emblem associated with Nazi Germany’s SS units, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
While a traditional skull and crossbones is not considered a hate symbol, the Totenkopf has been adopted by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups and is listed as a recognized hate symbol by the ADL.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee quickly accused Platner of displaying a “Nazi tattoo,” highlighting the seriousness of the image’s historical and cultural connotations.
Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner admits he got Nazi-linked tattoo while ‘very inebriated’ https://t.co/gC14s4ADmi pic.twitter.com/WWw4qZafpg
— New York Post (@nypost) October 21, 2025
For a candidate running as a progressive reformer, the charge threatens to undermine his credibility with both Jewish voters and the broader Democratic base.
Platner has rejected suggestions that he knowingly bore a hate symbol, insisting that he was unaware of the imagery’s origins. “I am not a secret Nazi,” he said on the “Pod Save America” podcast Monday. “I think you can pretty much figure out where I stand on Nazism and antisemitism and racism in general. I would say a lifelong opponent.”
In the same interview, Platner defended himself against resurfaced Reddit posts in which he once called himself a “communist” and referred to police officers as “bastards.” His comments came as he faced growing scrutiny not just over the tattoo, but over his broader political past and online behavior.
The controversy erupted after a video circulated online showing Platner shirtless and singing at his brother’s 2007 wedding in Croatia. “Now of course, that embarrassment, which was mostly just held internally in the family as we always watched that video at family events and laughed, is now shared with the world,” Platner said. “I feel like I’m just going to give them a wedding gift for the rest of my life.”
Adding to the tension, Jewish Insider reported Tuesday that a former acquaintance claimed Platner had once explicitly acknowledged the tattoo’s meaning. “He said, ‘Oh, this is my Totenkopf,’” the acquaintance told the outlet. “He said it in a cutesy little way.”
The report has not been independently verified, and Platner’s campaign has yet to respond to the allegation.
Still, the incident underscores the risks facing a Democratic Party eager to project moral clarity while one of its own candidates confronts accusations of ignorance—or worse—about one of history’s darkest symbols.
For now, Platner says the tattoo will soon be gone, but the questions it raised about judgment, awareness, and accountability may linger long after the ink is erased.
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