Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed populist veteran Graham Platner in Maine&#8217;s Democratic Senate primary on Thursday, further intensifying an already contentious race against Gov. Janet Mills.
Platner has also been backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), while Mills is supported by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The winner will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the November general election, which is expected to be competitive and costly.
“Graham Platner is the real deal,” Warren <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2034603306404765726">said</a> in a video announcement. “He’s a fighter, and he’s ready to take that fight to Washington.”
Warren argued that Platner could help Democrats reclaim the Senate majority, currently held by Republicans, 53-47.
“Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right,&#8221; she added, saying Platner exhibits the “fighting spirit that the Democratic Party needs now more than ever.”
Platner’s campaign faced numerous scandals last fall, including old Reddit posts from 2013 in which he described himself as a “communist” and made demeaning comments about women. He has since apologized for the remarks. He also faced scrutiny over a tattoo that critics said resembled a Nazi symbol, which he later covered.
The Mills campaign made the past Reddit comments a key focus of a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attack-ad-targets-democrat-over-vulgar-past-comments-about-women?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Attack+Ad+Targets+Democrat+Over+Vulgar+Past+Comments+About+Women">ad</a> released earlier this week, specifically highlighting posts saying women should “act like an adult for f*** sake” and “not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.”
“Just no way I could vote for you,” a woman says in the ad.
In response, Platner re-shared a previous apology video from October and said in a post on X that he “was horrified&#8221; by the comments and &#8220;did not recognize the man on the other side of the posts.”
Samantha Cantrell, a National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson, said that “Chuck Schumer&#8217;s handpicked candidate is so unpopular in Maine that Elizabeth Warren just endorsed a guy with a Nazi tattoo.”
Despite the past controversies, most polling averages show Platner leading Gov. Mills ahead of the June 9 primary, according to RealClearPolling. The Cook Political Report has the general election race ranked as a “toss-up.”
Collins, who has represented Maine since 1997, won re-election in 2020 with roughly 51% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sara Gideon, who received about 42%.

2024 Democratic National Convention: Day 4

Elizabeth Warren Makes Endorsement In Maine’s Bruising Democratic Senate Primary

2026 election

Congress

Elizabeth Warren

graham platner

janet mills

Maine

Senate

Susan Collins

Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is targeting her populist primary opponent for the U.S. Senate with a new ad highlighting past comments he made on Reddit about women and sexual assault.
The ad, released Tuesday, features multiple women reacting to 2013 posts by Graham Platner in which he said women should “act like an adult for f*** sake” and “not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don&#8217;t mean to” if they are fearful of being raped.
“That’s a horrible thing to say,” one woman, identified as Jill from South Portland, says in the ad.
“Just no way I could vote for you,” Peggy from Vassalboro, adds.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/grahamformaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@grahamformaine</a> blamed women for sexual assault, saying they should &#8220;take some responsibility for themselves&#8221; and &#8220;act like an adult.&#8221;
Here&#8217;s what Maine women had to say about his words. <a href="https://t.co/sztt7khZ4S">pic.twitter.com/sztt7khZ4S</a>
— Janet Mills (@JanetMillsforME) <a href="https://twitter.com/JanetMillsforME/status/2033861065289732184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
Platner’s campaign dismissed the ad, with his campaign manager saying in a statement that it is “a desperate attempt for relevance from the governor, who is trailing an oyster farmer in every recent poll,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://x.com/aseitzwald/status/2033909477179543759?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Midcoast Villager</a>.
&#8220;Mainers know that Graham should not be defined by the worst thing he said on the internet over a decade ago,&#8221; the campaign manager added.
The comments previously drew backlash when they resurfaced last year. Platner responded at the time with an apology, which he reshared on Tuesday.
&#8220;Back in October, when my past internet comments resurfaced, I read through them. I was horrified and did not recognize the man on the other side of the posts,&#8221; Platner posted on X.
I shared my thoughts and apologies here directly with Mainers. And I’ve been talking with Mainers every day since, at town halls across the state.&#8221;
Platner, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has remained competitive in the primary despite the controversy. Mills has the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Earlier on Tuesday, Platner released his own ad taking aim at Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), whom the Democratic nominee will face in the general election in November. The spot features a Maine voter, also named Susan Collins, who supports Platner.
Republicans say the Democrat infighting could benefit Sen. Collins.
“The girls are fighting! It doesn’t matter how the Chuck Schumer vs. Bernie Sanders proxy war ends, because both of these candidates will lose to Susan Collins,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Samantha Cantrell told The Daily Wire.
The race is one of four Senate contests currently rated as a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report, along with North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Graham Platner Maine

Attack Ad Targets Democrat Over Vulgar Past Comments About Women

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) made her re-election bid official Tuesday, unboxing a pair of New Balance running shoes and announcing, “This is perfect for 2026, because I’m running.”
The announcement launches what is expected to be a fiercely competitive general election in Maine following speculation that Collins would retire instead, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/16/congress/white-house-collins-maine-00459055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
The race has already grown contentious, especially in the Democratic primary between Gov. Janet Mills and populist Graham Platner. Platner has drawn scrutiny over past controversies, including a now-removed tattoo featuring a Nazi symbol and old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-called-himself-a-communist-made-racist-comments-in-reddit-posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a> posts in which he described himself as a &#8220;communist.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="UNBOXING 2026" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O9N0SkDFjf0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Susan Collins pledged to only serve two terms in the Senate,” Platner said in an <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2021225664829886812">X</a> post responding to Collins’ launch. “That’s just one of a hundred reasons she doesn’t deserve a sixth term.”
Governor Mills said Sen. Collins “has had almost three decades to prove that she’s the right leader for Maine in this critical moment — and she&#8217;s failed. Seniority without a backbone is just tenure, and another term won’t fix that. It&#8217;s time for her to go.”
The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings">Cook Political Report</a> currently rates the race as a toss-up. Collins faced a similarly high-stakes contest in 2020, when she defeated Democrat Sara Gideon with nearly 51% of the vote compared to Gideon&#8217;s roughly 42%.
The Republican lawmaker has secured the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which typically supports incumbents and contenders it views as best to win general elections.
“From protecting Social Security to supporting small businesses, no one works harder and is more dependable at delivering prosperity and opportunity,&#8221; NRSC Chairman Tim Scott said. &#8220;I’m confident Susan will defeat whoever emerges from the messy Democrat primary, because Mainers know they can always count on her.”
Collins has had a complicated relationship with President Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized her and other Republicans over past War Powers Resolution votes and at one point said they &#8220;should never be elected to office again.&#8221;
Despite past tensions, Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stood alongside Trump at the Oval Office signing ceremony last week, along with other lawmakers, as the partial government shutdown ended. She is the lone Republican in New England&#8217;s congressional delegation.

‘I’m Running’: Susan Collins Launches Re-Election Bid As GOP Fights To Hold Crucial Senate Seat

Politics

Republicans

Maine will be limiting how its state and local authorities interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, further amplifying how immigration is becoming a key issue in northeastern races in the 2026 midterm elections.
Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat running for Senate, announced on Tuesday that she would allow LD 1971 to go into effect next month. The proposal allows for authorities to comply with federal immigration officials only for an additional criminal probe, not just for immigration reasons, according to <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/12/15/politics/state-politics/janet-mills-maine-ice-limited-cooperation-becomes-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bangor Daily News</a>.
“As a former District Attorney and Attorney General and now as Governor, I carefully considered this bill. I&#8217;ve weighed my concerns that it imposes confusing restraints on law enforcement about when they can and can&#8217;t interact with Federal authorities against the extraordinary and horrifying actions of a Federal agency that has been weaponized by the President to undermine the rights of us all. And I also agree with the bill&#8217;s aim of ensuring that Maine law enforcement are enforcing Maine laws, not Federal immigration law,&#8221; Mills wrote in a <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2025/12/15/maine-law-enforcement-will-not-make-dangerous-promises-with-ice-gov-janet-mills/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland Press Herald</a> op-ed.
She said the bill is “imperfect,” but Maine law allows the bill to go into effect if she chooses not to directly veto it days after the Legislature comes back, according to a <a href="https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/press-herald-op-ed-governor-mills-announces-ld-1971-become-law-2025-12-15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.
&#8220;LD 1971 is imperfect, and we should not need it, but the times call for it. We cannot turn a blind eye to ICE&#8217;s unacceptable actions, and so I have chosen to allow LD 1971 to become law,” she continued. In addition, Mills announced in a press release that she scrapped former Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s 2011 Executive Order that allowed “for enhanced cooperation between state and Federal officials in the enforcement of Federal immigration law.”
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The National Republican Senatorial Committee took aim at Mills on her decision.
“Radical Janet Mills is trying to BAN Maine law enforcement from working with ICE so that criminals illegal immigrants can stay in the state,” the NRSC posted to X. “Mills continues to put Mainers last EVERY TIME.”
Mills is in a closely-watched primary contest against populist veteran Graham Platner, who’s been riddled with a wide range of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-bad-news-keeps-rolling-in-for-graham-platners-senate-campaign">scandals</a>. Whoever wins the primary will face off against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in what promises to be a competitive November general election.
Abigail Jackson, White House spokeswoman, told The Daily Wire, “Every locality should be willing to cooperate with ICE officers to get dangerous criminal illegal aliens out of their communities. It’s common sense.”
The governor&#8217;s decision and the criticism from the NRSC are showing how immigration has turned into an issue far beyond the southern border for the midterms. Although the Northeast is thousands of miles away from the United States-Mexico border, ICE has conducted major operations in Boston and the New England region, which has sparked outrage among Democrats.
In Massachusetts, anti-ICE activist Jonathan Paz announced a primary challenge to House Minority Whip Katherine Clark on Monday, and touted immigration as a major campaign issue.
“From organizing renters’ rights in Waltham to standing up to big tech and now resisting Trump’s ICE, I’ve seen what’s possible when we organize our communities and stay true to our principles,” Paz said in his campaign launch video.

18 Dead After Mass Shooter Goes On A Rampage In Maine

Battleground State Governor OKs ‘Confusing’ Bill To Limit Police Cooperation With ICE

2026 Midterms

Immigration

Maine Republicans just got a huge boost in their efforts to claim competitive Senate and House seats as Democrats duke it out in a messy primary that has become a national flash point.
State Rep. Laurel Libby, a Republican, announced this week that she was launching a trio of groups — Lead Maine, Lead Maine Action, and the Lead Maine Committee — with the hopes of boosting turnout for her party in and further conservative policies.
“Maine needs a long-term, durable campaign infrastructure that grows our conservative grassroots movement and seats up Republicans up for success in 2026 and beyond,” Libby said in a statement.
Lead Maine will be a nonprofit and the action group is a state-level political action committee, while the committee will be a federal-level Super PAC, according to a press release.
Libby became a national figure over her critique of the state’s policies regarding transgender athletes, which at one point cost her the ability to even vote in the Maine House, The Daily Wire reported in June. She will not be running for re-election after three terms in the legislature, her press release noted.
“Lead Maine and its affiliated organizations are committed to building exactly that by educating and mobilizing citizens to drive meaningful societal and electoral change at both the state and national levels.”
Libby&#8217;s groups could help Republicans gain an advantage in a closely-watched cycle dominated by coverage of populist oyster farmer Graham Platner, who has faced numerous scandals for deleted Reddit posts and a Nazi tattoo. Platner is facing Governor Janet Mills in a primary that has voters split on questions of age and ideology, dividing the Democratic Party as a whole. Platner, a populist, is more than three decades younger than the more establishment Mills, who is 77.
Whoever wins will take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a race the Cook Political Report calls a “toss-up,&#8221; one of the most competitive races of the coming midterm cycle. Democratic primary polls have yielded mixed results despite Platner’s scandals, and he shows no signs of dropping out despite high staff turnover.
“We can defeat Susan Collins and send a message to everyone that a new dawn has come for American politics. One that is strong, one that is principled, one that is hopeful, and most importantly, one that fights and wins,” Platner recently posted to X.
The Lead Maine Committee, a partnership with the Sentinel Action Fund, will put $4 million into Collins’ race. Grassroots movements and organizations are becoming more commonplace on the right, including with Scott Presler’s voter registration efforts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in addition to groups like Turning Point Action.
“This partnership and investment come ahead of a pivotal midterm election cycle. Maine’s Senate seat will play a critical role in securing and expanding the Republican Senate majority and protecting it is an essential step toward achieving a 60-seat majority,” Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson said in a statement.
In Maine’s Second Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Jared Golden announced that he is retiring, leaving the seat up for grabs despite now being labeled as “likely Republican” by the Cook Political Report due to President Donald Trump’s victory in the district last year.
Democrat Jordan Wood exited the Senate race in order to run for the seat instead, and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage is running for the Republican nomination. Besides Collins, there are no other Republicans in the New England Congressional delegation.

How Maine’s Messy Democratic Primary Has Republicans Circling The Wagons

<div>Embattled Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s treasurer has resigned just days after his national finance director called it quits, according to the Judge Street Journal.</div>
<div></div>
<div>The <a href="https://judgestreetjournal.substack.com/p/exclusive-graham-platners-treasurer?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;triedRedirect=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlet</a> reported that Victoria Perrone left her role as treasurer on Tuesday, and Ben Martello is the individual currently listed in the position on Federal Election Commission records.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Platner’s campaign has faced numerous controversies resulting from deleted Reddit posts and a Nazi-era tattoo, and in the days since those controversies spread across social media, both a campaign manager and a political director have also abruptly exited the campaign.</div>
<div></div>
<div>His former national finance director, Ronald Holmes III, posted to LinkedIn on Friday that he was resigning.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“Somewhere along the way, I began to feel that my professional standards as a campaign professional no longer fully aligned with those of the campaign,” Holmes posted.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“I wish the campaign and the voters in Maine well as they continue forward with selecting a nominee who they believe is best suited to meet the moment and flip this critical must win seat for us to take back the U.S. Senate in 2026,” he continued.</div>
<div></div>
<div><a href="https://x.com/hollyotterbein/status/1984284658612494537">Axios</a> reported the Platner campaign said that Holmes quit because his role had more to do with getting large donors on board to the campaign, but “the reality is our campaign’s fundraising success has come largely from small dollar donors. Nearly 90% of what we’ve raised has come from small dollar donations and online donors, which is run by our digital fundraising director.”</div>
<div></div>
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<div></div>
<div><a href="https://weartv.com/news/nation-world/platner-campaign-manager-steps-down-after-joining-campaign-last-week-social-media-maine-democrats-senate-race-republicans-susan-collins-janet-mills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WGME News</a> reported that Kevin Brown took a job as the Democrat’s campaign manager, and claimed that his exit had to do with finding out that his wife is pregnant — but he left the job just days after beginning the new gig.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Platner&#8217;s former political director Genevieve McDonald spoke out about quitting after his now-covered Totenkopf tattoo went viral.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“Graham has an antisemitic tattoo on his chest,” McDonald posted to Facebook. “He’s not an idiot, he’s a military history buff. Maybe he didn’t know it when he got it, but he got it years ago and he should have had it covered up because he knows damn well what it means.”</div>
<div></div>
<div>The Democrat is in a primary race against Gov. Janet Mills, and whoever wins the primary will face off against Republican Sen. Susan Collins in 2026.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“Our movement is powered by the people of Maine,” Platner posted to X on Saturday. “The people of Maine will not be propagandized. And they will not be bought.”</div>
<div></div>
<div>Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</div>
<div></div>

Graham Platner’s Treasurer Switch Marks Yet Another Exit From Campaign

Graham Platner’s campaign manager quit just days after starting the job, the latest in a seemingly unending series of upsets for the Maine Democrat&#8217;s struggling campaign.
Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/27/graham-platner-campaign-manager">reported</a> Monday that Kevin Brown, a friend of Platner&#8217;s, resigned his post shortly after taking it up. Brown follows Platner&#8217;s political director, Genevieve McDonald, who resigned earlier this month after Platner came under fire for a series of Reddit posts in which he called himself a communist. McDonald made waves following her departure for publicly commenting about Platner’s tattoo with Nazi-era connotations, which he has since gotten covered up.
“Graham has an antisemitic tattoo on his chest,&#8221; McDonald wrote on Facebook. &#8220;He’s not an idiot, he’s a military history buff. Maybe he didn’t know it when he got it, but he got it years ago and he should have had it covered up because he knows damn well what it means.&#8221;
“Years ago I got a skull and crossbones tattoo with my buddies in the Marine Corps,&#8221; Platner wrote on X last week. &#8220;I was appalled to learn it closely resembled a Nazi symbol. I altered it yesterday, into something that isn&#8217;t deeply offensive to my core beliefs.&#8221;
“I am very sorry to all of you who had to contemplate a symbol of hate over the past 48 hours,” he added.
Platner told “Pod Save America” that he’s “not a secret Nazi” when discussing the Totenkopf tattoo. 
“Actually, if you read through my Reddit comments I think you can pretty much figure out where I stand on Nazism and antisemitism and racism in general. I would say, lifelong opponent.”
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“At no point in this entire experience of my life not once did anybody say ‘Hey, you’re a Nazi.’ It never came up, until we got wind that in the opposition research somebody was shopping the idea that I was secret Nazi with a hidden Nazi tattoo. And I can honestly say that if I was trying to hide it, I have not been doing a very good job for the past 18 years,” Platner said. 
“We got those and then we all moved on with our lives,” he added. 
However, a report in<a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2025/10/graham-platner-ss-tattoo-maine-senate/"> Jewish Insider</a> indicated he knew about the meaning of the symbol as of at least 2012. 
Platner is facing Maine Governor Janet Mills in the state&#8217;s Democratic primary, the winner of which will likely take on Republican Senator Susan Collins in a highly competitive general election race.
A recent poll of likely voters from SoCal Strategies indicated that Mills is leading with 41% compared with 36% for Platner,<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5573485-maine-senate-poll-mills-platner/"> The Hill</a> reported on Saturday. Another poll from the<a href="https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1896&amp;context=survey_center_polls"> University of New Hampshire</a>, taken from Oct. 16-21, showed that 58% of “those who plan to vote” are backing Platner, compared with 24% for the governor.

The Bad News Keeps Rolling In For Graham Platner’s Senate Campaign

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner was reportedly aware of the Nazi-affiliation of his skull and crossbones chest tattoo, despite recent claims that he had never faced negative accusations regarding it until he ran for office, according to Jewish Insider.
“He said, ‘Oh, this is my Totenkopf,’” an acquaintance recalls Platner telling him at Tune Inn, a Capitol Hill Bar where Platner worked, in 2012.
“He said it in a cutesy little way,” the individual said. Platner said at the time that he was aware of what the symbol meant when he got the tattoo, though he has denied knowing the meaning at other times, <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2025/10/graham-platner-ss-tattoo-maine-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewish Insider</a> reported. Platner has since gotten a new tattoo to cover the symbol, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Graham Platner shows off cover-up tattoo of Nazi symbol in interview with local Maine news outlet: <a href="https://t.co/MMPvw57zzz">https://t.co/MMPvw57zzz</a> <a href="https://t.co/JaUYLjuM41">pic.twitter.com/JaUYLjuM41</a>
— Politics &amp; Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/PollTracker2024/status/1981027114796134407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
The report came after Platner attempted to explain the tattoo on “Pod Save America” on Monday.
“I am not a secret Nazi,” Platner said on the podcast. “Actually, if you read through my Reddit comments I think you can pretty much figure out where I stand on Nazism and antisemitism and racism in general. I would say, lifelong opponent.”
Platner, who has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), further added that he was “very inebriated” on leave in Croatia while on a deployment for the Marines in 2007, and “we chose a terrifying-looking skull and crossbones off the wall” while at the tattoo shop.
“We got those and then we all moved on with our lives,” he said.
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“At no point in this entire experience of my life not once did anybody say ‘Hey, you’re a Nazi.’ It never came up, until we got wind that in the opposition research somebody was shopping the idea that I was secret Nazi with a hidden Nazi tattoo. And I can honestly say that if I was trying to hide it, I have not been doing a very good job for the past 18 years,” Platner continued.
Platner has been under fire since a number of his Reddit posts were revealed, including one where he referred to cops as “bastards” and described himself as a “communist.”
Axios reported that in a 2020 Reddit post Platner said he had the term “antifa super soldier” on “armor” he owned.
His former political director, Genevieve McDonald, who quit just days ago, called him out in a Facebook post in light of the tattoo scandal.
“Graham has an antisemitic tattoo on his chest. He’s not an idiot, he’s a military history buff. Maybe he didn’t know it when he got it, but he got it years ago and he should have had it covered up because he knows damn well what it means,” McDonald wrote, The Maine Wire reported.
Platner is currently facing Democrat Governor Janet Mills in a primary, the winner of which will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, in a closely watched 2026 race.

Capitol Hill Prepares Ahead Of Full House Vote On Impeachment Articles This Week

Graham Platner Has Known About His Tattoo’s Nazi Connotations Since 2012

Democrats

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner addressed a tattoo on his chest that critics have slammed as being linked to Nazi imagery, as a flurry of controversial social media posts resurfaced.
In a Monday interview with “Pod Save America,” Platner encouraged the hosts to play a video of himself lip-syncing to Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” while shirtless at his brother’s wedding a decade ago. The video revealed that Platner has a tattoo of a black skull and crossbones on his chest. The design is known as the Totenkopf or “Death’s Head,” which was used as a symbol for the SS during the Nazi regime, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
“I am not a secret Nazi,” Platner told Pod Save America. “Actually, if you read through my Reddit comments I think you can pretty much figure out where I stand on Nazism and antisemitism and racism in general. I would say, lifelong opponent.”
Platner explained that he got the tattoo while on deployment as a Marine while “very inebriated” on leave in Croatia, and “we chose a terrifying-looking skull and crossbones off the wall” at the tattoo parlor.
“We got those and then we all moved on with our lives,” he added, saying that he was screened without issues when he later joined the Army, obtained security clearance, and worked as a State Department contractor without issue.
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“And I’ve also just lived my entire life like a regular person with a skull and crossbones on their chest,” he said, joking about the “Wrecking Ball” clip.
“At no point in this entire experience of my life not once did anybody say ‘Hey, you’re a Nazi.’ It never came up, until we got wind that in the opposition research somebody was shopping the idea that I was secret Nazi with a hidden Nazi tattoo. And I can honestly say that if I was trying to hide it, I have not been doing a very good job for the past 18 years,” he added.
The tattoo received some negative responses from critics on social media, including on the Left.
“No skeletons in his closet, just an apparent Nazi logo on his chest,” MSNBC anchor Catherine Rampell posted to X.
“Gonna be hard to erase this one, literally and figuratively,” The Bulwark’s Sam Stein wrote.
Platner is currently in a primary against Maine’s Democratic Governor, Janet Mills. The winner of that race will face incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R) in one of the most competitive races in the country. Various old Reddit posts of his resurfaced last week, including “I got older and became a communist.”
“The fact that I have managed to go from Communist to Nazi in the space of four days, according to the people who are trying to, whatever, do this to me, I find to be quite a spectacular turn of events,” Platner added in the podcast interview.
Other posts included him saying that, “Bastards. Cops are bastards. All of them, in fact.” The candidate has attempted to turn the tables on the news cycle, sharing other past Reddit posts condemning “misogyny and homophobia in the Marines,” he wrote in a recent X post.
Last week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee torched the posts from Platner.
“Graham Platner is a communist who supports violence against Republicans to promote his radical agenda. These posts are not just him messing around on the internet as he is trying to claim, they paint a very dark picture of a candidate not fit for office,” Samantha Cantrell, NRSC Regional Press Secretary, told The Daily Wire at the time.
The Daily Wire reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment.

Maine Senate Candidate Downplays SS Skull Tattoo: ‘I Am Not A Secret Nazi.’

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is under scrutiny for a series of resurfaced social media posts in which he declares himself a “communist” and denigrates cops and white people.
CNN’s KFile uncovered the Reddit posts from Platner, who is facing off against Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic primary, the winner of which will take on Republican Senator Susan Collins.
“I got older and became a communist,” Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer, wrote on a Reddit forum dubbed “antiwork” in 2021, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/16/politics/kfile-graham-platner-maine-senate-candidate-deleted-reddit-posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. He also said he was a “vegetable growing, psychedelics taking social these days” in a United States Marine Corps subreddit that same year, saying that he “still got the guns though, I don’t trust the facsists [sic] these days,” citing his past military experience in the post.
“Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are,” the Democrat said about white Americans.
“Bastards. Cops are bastards. All of them, in fact,” Platner said in another post.
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/maine-senate-candidate-promoted-violent-political-action-in-since-deleted-online-posts-00613037" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a> reported that Platner wrote other Reddit posts in 2018 suggesting that “an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice” and said that a “good semi-automatic rifle” would be expected in order to successfully “fight fascism.”
In addition, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/17/graham-platner-sexual-assault-comments-senate-midterms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Washington Post</a> reported multiple posts he made to Reddit in 2013 regarding sexual assault, including in the military.
“Rape is a real thing. If you’re so worried about it to buy Kevlar underwear you’d think you might not get blacked out f***ed up around people you aren’t comfortable with,” he wrote.
“In today’s current climate, when every whisper of a misplaced hand brings down a feature length film, anyone who actually thinks the military is purposefully covering up rape to save the career of some god damn [captain], is clearly both an idiot and junior enough in rank or life experience to think it matters,” Platner wrote.
<a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/17/politics/elections/graham-platner-black-people-tipping-rape-reference-reddit-posts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bangor Daily News</a> on Friday uncovered more of Platner’s Reddit posts, from 2013, in which he calls black people cheap.
“I work as a bartender and it always amazes me how solid this stereotype is,” Platner wrote. “Every now and again a black patron will leave a 15-20% tip, but usually it [is] between 0-5%. There’s got to be a reason behind it, what is it?”
The candidate said that the posts circulating do not reflect who he is today.
“As I told CNN, I was f***ing around on the internet at a time when I felt lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die,” Platner told POLITICO. “I made dumb jokes and picked fights. But of course I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired s***poster.”
However, Republicans have raised concerns about the candidate’s past comments.
“Graham Platner is a communist who supports violence against Republicans to promote his radical agenda. These posts are not just him messing around on the internet as he is trying to claim, they paint a very dark picture of a candidate not fit for office,” Samantha Cantrell, NRSC Regional Press Secretary, told The Daily Wire in response to the reports on the Democrat.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.

Reddit

Dem Senate Hopeful Called Himself A Communist, Made Racist Comments In Reddit Posts

Senator Susan Collins has an unlikely new supporter: Maine Governor Janet Mills, who&#8217;s running against Collins in a contentious race.
The group One Nation on Thursday released an ad that features Mills, a Democrat, praising her Republican opponent just last month.
“I appreciate everything she is doing,&#8221; Mills says in the clip, which comes from a press availability Mills held on Sept. 8 in Waterville, Maine, according to a video posted to the YouTube channel<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-45V9I3AQzg"> Central Maine</a>.
“She’s in a tough position. I appreciate everything she is doing,” she says when asked by a reporter if she thinks Collins is doing enough to counter President Donald Trump on tariffs and other aspects of his agenda.
“Everyone agrees: Sen. Susan Collins is getting results,&#8221; the <a href="https://x.com/OneNationOrg/status/1978796064196210989">ad</a> says.
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The Daily Wire reached out to the Mills campaign for comment. The governor made national headlines over her public disagreement at the White House with Trump over women’s sports.
“I’ll comply with state and federal law,” Mills said in response to Trump asking, “Is Maine here? The governor of Maine? Are you not going to comply with it?”
“We are the federal law,’ Trump said,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-spars-with-maines-dem-governor-over-men-in-womens-sports-at-white-house"> The Daily Wire</a> reported at the time. “You better do it. Because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t. And by the way, your population, even though it is somewhat liberal although I did very well there. Your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. You better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.”
“We’ll see you in court,” the governor can be heard saying.
“Good, I’ll see you in court,” the president replied. “I look forward to that, that should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
Mills touted in a recent X post that,”When Donald Trump tried to strong-arm me, I told him see you in court. So I did. And we won.”
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the race as a “toss-up” along with the Senate races in North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan.
Collins won her fifth term during the 2020 election, in which she defeated Democrat Sara Gideon, who won just over 42% of the vote compared with Collins pulling roughly 51%.
Graham Platner is also in the Democratic primary alongside Mills, and is currently facing controversy for now-deleted social media posts where he said he was a “communist,” according to<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/16/politics/kfile-graham-platner-maine-senate-candidate-deleted-reddit-posts"> CNN</a>.

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