Senate candidate Graham Platner attends a town hall in Ogunquit, Maine, in October. Photo by Sophie Park/Getty Images.
Based on data from CNN
A new collection of materials and deleted comments on social media cast doubt on Maine Senate candidate Grem Platner’s claim that he recently learned about the Nazi origin of the tattoo on his chest. KFile’s investigation confirms increasing details about Platner’s awareness of the use of Nazi symbolism and his involvement in related discussions in the past.
As sources indicate, the Marine Corps veteran was involved in discussions about the symbolism that later became linked to the tattoo, and he voiced opinions that such imagery is currently widely used among some military units. Specifically in 2019 he joined discussions of Totenkopf – the skull-and-bones emblem – with which his tattoo may be associated, and noted that many U.S. service members borrow similar imagery, including the Punisher skull, which is sometimes used by naval snipers.
In 2020 in online discussions he also claimed that the tattoo with lightning bolts “SS” were “cultural” markers in reconnaissance Marines units, and not an expression of white supremacist ideology. When discussion participants described the bolts as Nazi or racist symbols, Platner replied that outsiders “have no idea what they’re talking about,” and added: “I will definitely tell those Black guys I know with bolts that they are now Nazis.”
Archives of the conversations were preserved using the Wayback Machine and separate archival Reddit sites. CNN also spoke with one of Platner’s acquaintances more than ten years ago, who said that he discussed a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol. Another person confirmed that they learned about the tattoo years ago from that acquaintance and heard that he described it as in the style of Nazi symbolism. Additionally, CNN reviewed a chain of text messages between the acquaintance and another person who discussed Platner’s tattoo several months before the public disclosures.
<p Platner's campaign declined to comment on this material. In an interview this week he noted that the skull-and-bone tattoo was made in 2007 during his service in the Marine Corps, when he was about 20 years old, and that previously he did not realize that the image was connected to the Nazis.
“I am not a secret Nazi”
“I am not a secret Nazi,” Platner said in the Pod Save America podcast hosted by former Obama administration officials. After a wave of attention from the media he decided to hide the tattoo.
The campaign subsequently disputed both the Jewish Insider’s report and the former political director’s claim, calling them false. The media attention on Platner intensified earlier this month after KFile reported his use of a deleted Reddit account to express views in a communist style, with criticism of police and remarks about white Americans as racists and fools – among other provocative statements. Platner claimed that these posts were made during a period of anger.
Context of Symbolism and History of Use
In 2020 in Reddit discussions where Platner participated, there was talk of a viral photo of a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in Las Vegas who wore a tattoo in the “SS” style, which users said was a visible sign. Platner argued that such tattoos were widespread among the military and do not carry hatred or support for Nazi ideology, mentioning in particular the acronyms HOG – Hunter of Gunmen and STA – Surveillance and Target Acquisition as part of the internal culture of the units. He wrote: “I was at Leatherneck and know many people with bolts,” and also noted that even those who do not understand the talk will eventually understand the context. Subsequently the Marine Corps criticized the use of such symbolism in military units and stated that it does not support it as a designation of units or individuals.
“Although I understand that our world is quite foreign and isolated, most normal people really do not understand how this works.”
In subsequent discussions, Platner continued to note that some American units used symbolism differently, and that he did not aim to glorify or excuse any criminal intentions; he emphasized that the culture with which he is closely connected is more nuanced than others portray it.
“You can review my posting history and see that I am truly far-left, but it was a specific culture I am closely familiar with,” Platner added in his messages. “I do not act with deliberate blindness; I explain the more nuanced aspects of the culture than you are willing to understand.”
In 2019 the topic “Battle-weary SS” in the Reddit section also touched the Totenkopf tattoo on the helmet of one warrior during the war, highlighting that the image remained widespread among American service members, particularly next to the Punisher logo. Platner again drew attention to the fact that these symbols were used in different contexts, and stressed that not everyone perceives them as support for Nazi ideology. The article’s authors emphasize the importance of preserving context and transparency of the candidate during public discussion of political accountability.
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