Platner Tattoo Controversy Leads Campaign Resignation

A video showed a Totenkopf — a skull-and-crossbones image tied to Nazi SS units — on the chest of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. Platner says he got the tattoo in 2007 while drinking in Croatia during his time as a Marine, denied any affinity for Nazism, apologized, and said he covered the image with a Celtic-knot-and-dog design because removal is difficult in rural Maine. Resurfaced Reddit posts, including dismissive comments about military sexual assault, prompted criticism from former staffers and led to the resignation of his campaign political director. Platner has defended the original design as a common military skull motif, cited prior military reviews and security-clearance checks, and said the tattoo was never intended as a Nazi symbol. He has resisted calls to drop out of the Democratic primary to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, and prominent backers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders have publicly defended him while opponents and some former aides say the revelations raise serious concerns.