A Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Maine has apologised and removed a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi symbol that sparked backlash.
Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Marine Corps combat veteran and oyster farmer, said he only realised the skull-and-crossbones tattoo resembled Nazi imagery after hearing from “reporters and DC insiders”.
The tattoo was visible in a video posted on social media showing Platner dancing in his underwear at his brother’s wedding.
The skull-and-crossbones symbol was used by Nazi forces during World War Two, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Senator Bernie Sanders, one of Platner’s most prominent supporters, defended him on Tuesday, saying the tattoo was chosen while he was inebriated.
In response to criticism, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Maine has apologized and taken off a tattoo of a Nazi symbol that was placed on his chest.
Marine Corps combat veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, 41, claimed that it was only after speaking with “reporters and DC insiders” that he realized the skull-and-crossbones tattoo resembled Nazi imagery.
In a social media video of Platner dancing in his underwear at his brother’s wedding, the tattoo was visible.
According to Platner’s statement to the BBC, “I totally would not have lived with this on my chest if I knew that – and to insinuate that I did is disgusting.”. “A new design was already applied to the tattoo. “..”.
The tattoo seems similar to the Totenkopf, which means “death’s head” in German. The Anti-Defamation League claims that Nazi forces employed the skull-and-crossbones symbol during World War Two.
The tattoo is antisemitic, according to Genevieve McDonald, Platner’s former political director who quit his campaign last week.
According to reports in the US media, she stated, “He may not have realized it at the time, but he received it years ago and he ought to have had it concealed because he is well aware of its significance.”.
He received the tattoo in Croatia in 2007 with his fellow Marines, according to Platner, who is vying for his party’s nomination in the crowded Democratic primary to replace Republican Susan Collins in the Senate.
He said they were drinking when they took the picture from the parlor wall.
Since we were Marines and skulls and crossbones are a common military symbol, he explained, “we picked a scary-looking skull and crossbones off the wall.”.
Because the Army forbids service for those with hate-themed tattoos, Platner’s campaign team claimed that military physicians had inspected his ink and found no problems.
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His social media history has come under renewed scrutiny, which has led to the controversy.
Platner’s comments downplaying sexual assault in the military and calling himself a communist were among the Reddit posts he made years ago that reappeared last week.
In a video apology, Platner, who has highlighted his experience as a veteran and small business owner, said he made the remarks after returning from war and experiencing depression.
He claimed to have felt “extremely disillusioned, alienated, and isolated” as a result. And I believe that, like many others, I went online to start arguments, post foolish things, and look for a sense of community. “.
Platner was defended on Tuesday by Senator Bernie Sanders, one of his most well-known allies, who claimed that the tattoo was selected while he was drunk.
“He has experienced a dark time, but he is not alone in America,” Sanders stated. “People go through that, he has expressed regret for the hurtful and foolish things he said, and I have no doubt that he will have a successful campaign and win. “,”.
