Maine Democrat Graham Platner, who is vying to flip a U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Susan Collins, is under fire for allegedly dawning a tattoo experts say is a popular Nazi symbol.
Platner’s campaign said Wednesday that the tattoo in question on his chest has been covered.
According to a statement from Platner’s campaign, he said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007, when he was in his 20s and in the Marine Corps.
It happened during a night of drinking while he was on leave in Croatia, Platner said, adding he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police.
The image is referred to as the Totenkopf, or “death’s head,” symbol adopted by Holocaust perpetrators during World War II.
SCOOP @J_Insider via @matthewkassel: "Graham Platner says ‘I am not a secret Nazi’ after photos of his tattoo emerge"
"A fmr acquaintance of the D Senate candidate said he called the tattoo ‘my Totenkopf,’ referring to a symbol adopted by a Nazi SS unit"https://t.co/GVVaEOaLRh
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) October 21, 2025
Platner’s new tattoo covers up the Totenkopf, but experts slammed the new artwork as one of the worst tattoo jobs they have ever seen, noting that parts of the skull and crossbones were still clearly visible.
“Whoever did this is not particularly talented,” said one blogger.
“It’s a horrible tattoo, and the quality is truly piss poor. The embellishments on each side are a sloppy mess.”
Take a look —
Platner, who was recently backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, posted a video to Instagram Wednesday afternoon, explaining that the design was chosen from a flash tattoo wall while “carousing” with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia.
“We thought it looked cool,” he said.
He claimed he had “lived a life dedicated to anti-fascism, anti-racism and anti-Nazism” and was “appalled” to learn it resembled a hate symbol.
Platner said he had never been questioned about the tattoo during his service and passed Army background checks.
Platner’s tattoo controversy comes on the heels of deleted Reddit posts in which Platner appeared to mock military sexual assault victims, criticize police and make racially-charged comments about tipping.
Genevieve McDonald, who resigned as Platner’s campaign manager last week in response to the unearthed Reddit posts, suggested Platner was lying about being unaware of the tattoo’s significance.
“Graham has an anti-Semitic tattoo on his chest,” she wrote.
“He’s not an idiot, he’s a military history buff … he knows damn well what it means.”
Another former associate of Platner’s told Jewish Insider he proudly referred to the tattoo as “my Totenkopf.”
Platner since apologized and blamed the posts on depression and PTSD after his military service in Afghanistan. He has vowed to stay in the race and has the continued backing of Sanders.
Graham Platner is a great working class candidate for Senate in Maine who will defeat Susan Collins.
It’s disappointing that some Democratic leaders are urging Governor Mills to run. We need to focus on winning that seat & not waste millions on an unnecessary & divisive primary.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 9, 2025
However, fellow Democrats are calling for Platner to drop out of the race, including Jordan Wood, a Democratic rival in the primary.
“Graham Platner’s Reddit comments and Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo are disqualifying and not who we are as Mainers or as Democrats,” Wood said in a statement.
“With Donald Trump and his sycophants demonizing Americans, spewing hate and running roughshod over the Constitution, Democrats need to be able to condemn Trump’s actions with moral clarity. Graham Platner no longer can.”
My statement on Graham Platner’s Totenkopf Tattoo: pic.twitter.com/QdSTbMiMto
— Jordan Wood (@JordanWoodME) October 22, 2025
Platner is running in a packed Democratic primary against Wood and two-term Gov. Janet Mills.
Collins, who has held the critical seat for three decades, has not yet commented on the controversy at the time of publication.