Dem Congressman Finally Calls Graham Platner’s Nazi Tattoo ‘Disqualifying’
The excerpt describes a political controversy involving Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. After it surfaced that Platner had a Nazi SS-style “Totenkopf” (death’s head) tattoo for years, the author claims the issue took months too be openly criticized by anyone importent within his party. Rep. Jake Auchincloss is presented as finaly calling the tattoo and Platner’s related comments “personally disqualifying,” while the piece criticizes democratic leadership and media coverage for allegedly downplaying or not confronting the problem sooner.
It also recounts Platner’s origin story for the tattoo-reportedly getting it while serving in the Marines-and his later efforts to modify it rather than fully retract it. The author highlights backlash and disputes about how the story was covered, including remarks that Auchincloss is Jewish and the article’s suggestion that this fact may have been used to avoid deeper engagement wiht the Nazi-related implications. The overall tone argues that Democrats were aware of the tattoo before choosing Platner as the nominee and suggests that opposition within the party was limited, leaving voters with a controversial candidate in an effort to challenge Sen. Susan Collins.
It certainly took long enough, but we found a Democrat willing to say that a man with a Nazi tattoo is unfit for public office.
Months after it was revealed Graham Platner — the Democratic Party’s great white hope in Maine’s Senate race — had a tattoo of a death’s-head symbol used by the Nazi SS on his chest and almost certainly knew what it was, we finally found someone in his own flock willing to go on CNN and say the obvious.
It’s hard to applaud when the state of the party is such that it took so many months, but we finally have it: Someone saying that maybe, if you’ve had a Totenkopf inked on your chest and didn’t remove it until you ran for Senate, maybe you shouldn’t be in the Senate.
Of course, it’s Rep. Jake Auchincloss. If your immediate reaction is, “Wait, who?”, that’s rather the problem.
The Massachusetts Democrat was appearing on CNN Monday when host Boris Sanchez talked about Platner’s unsavory past, including the tattoo. (Yes, there’s even more than a Totenkopf — and somehow, it almost manages to be worse!)
“I’ve been clear about Graham Platner. I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,” said Auchincloss.
“I hope Maine voters agree with me,” he continued. “I think it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to think that Graham Platner’s brand of the Democratic Party is what wins us durable majorities throughout this country.”
Bravo to Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) who says Graham Platner’s Nazi tattoo should be “disqualifying”.
Platner is currently running against Susan Collins for a Senate seat in Maine.
Meanwhile, Democratic leaders Rep. Jeffries and Sen. Schumer? 🤐 pic.twitter.com/cScfAZpaOt
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 26, 2026
Platner’s ridiculous, constantly evolving story begins with him getting the tattoo after a night of heavy drinking while he was stationed with the Marines in Croatia. Hey, we all have that night when you have one too many Buds, and bam — you wake up with a very specific logo associated with the Nazi SS on your chest. And you’re cool with it for 19 years — until you run for Senate.
He tried to get himself out of it in any number of ways, but finally decided on the non-apology apology:
Years ago I got a skull and crossbones tattoo with my buddies in the Marine Corps.
I was appalled to learn it closely resembled a Nazi symbol. I altered it yesterday, into something that isn’t deeply offensive to my core beliefs.
I am very sorry to all of you who had to… pic.twitter.com/RQSiRsrTiC
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) October 22, 2025
It’s telling that not only is it someone who isn’t in leadership saying that this is a problem, but the media and the left are undermining him any way they can.
For instance, take one of the more reasonable write-ups of the disavowal, from The Hill:
“I’ve been clear about Graham Platner. I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,” Auchincloss, who is Jewish, told CNN’s Boris Sanchez on Monday. [Emphasis ours]
This is two graphs into the story. If you want to maybe point out Auchincloss’ religion and how Jews may have been especially targeted by the Nazis somewhere in the story, fine. But after “Nazi” has been the ultimate hurled insult in the political arena in the 21st century, particularly from the left, it doesn’t help when the media finds itself covering a guy who seems to be legitimately into the Nazis and sees fit to tell us that his own party finally coming out against him may not matter so much because, you know, he is Jewish.
And Democrats gave plenty of coverage to the pushback, too.
“Jake Auchincloss is essentially endorsing Susan Collins in Maine,” Saikat Chakrabarti, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s former chief of staff and current California U.S. House candidate, wrote in a post on the social media platform X.
“Absolutely no excuse for a Democrat in the House to back a Republican for Senate in a crucial swing seat,” he added. “Auchincloss should be primaried.”
It’s here worth noting that Platner’s affinity for the Nazis in the not-too-distant past was well known by the Democrats before he was effectively handed the nomination, and they still didn’t seem to care. Platner could have been primaried, if that’s the solution.
In fact, he was being primaried, until popular Democratic Gov. Janet Mills — not someone I agree with, but also not someone with an SS tattoo on her body — withdrew. Democrats couldn’t find anyone else, so now they’re stuck with a literal Nazi who spews bile on Reddit to unseat Sen. Susan Collins in Maine.
But, OK. At least we have Auchincloss coming out and saying Platner’s tattoo is “disqualifying.”
And you, Messrs. Jeffries and Schumer, where are you?
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
