Maine Senate Hopeful Addresses Controversial Tattoo

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine is under fire after acknowledging that he has a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he says he'll remove after nearly 20 years. Platner, a political newcomer and Marine veteran hoping to unseat the state's Republican Sen. Susan Collins, addressed the controversy on the "Pod Save America" podcast, explaining that he got the skull-and-crossbones tattoo while drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia, Politico reports. He insists he was unaware of its possible Nazi connection until reporters and political insiders recently pointed it out. "I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that," the 41-year-old said, promising to have the tattoo removed. "To insinuate that I did is disgusting."

The episode is the latest in a string of headaches for Platner's campaign, which has been rocked by the resurfacing of old social media posts, including comments downplaying sexual assault in the military and suggesting violence might be needed for social change. Platner has apologized for those posts, attributing them to a period of disillusionment after his military service, the AP reports. He says he doesn't "recognize" the person who made the posts, which also included disparaging remarks about rural Americans and police officers. Questions have emerged about how Platner could have missed the tattoo's connotations for so long. A former campaign staffer, Genevieve McDonald, who resigned last week, said he should have known better and covered it up.

Jewish Insider also reported that an acquaintance recalled Platner referring to the tattoo as his "Totenkopf"—the German word for "death's head," the version of a skull and crossbones image that was adopted by Nazi police and has continued to be used by white supremacists. Platner's campaign did not address that claim directly, but on the podcast, Platner insisted he's not a "secret Nazi," reports the Hill. Not all skull-and-crossbones designs are considered Nazi symbols, and Platner says "skulls and crossbones are a pretty standard military thing." Despite the controversy, Platner retains some key supporters, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who defended him on Tuesday and expressed continued confidence in Platner's campaign.