this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2025
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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — His U.S. Senate campaign under fire, Maine Democrat Graham Platner said Wednesday that a tattoo on his chest has been covered to no longer reflect an image widely recognized as a Nazi symbol.

The first-time political candidate 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, he said, adding he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police.

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[–] JeSuisUnHombre@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

A skull and crossbones sounds like a symbol that was co-opted by nazis but not an explicit nazi symbol. I didn't know that connection either. Without seeing it, that sounds more like a pirate symbol, or poison.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

The pirate skull and crossbones is different from the one used by nazis. The pirate one has the skull facing forward and long bones behind. The nazi one is facing a bit to the side and only the snobby joint parts of the bones behind are showing.

Kind of like how the US and other countries have eagle iconography that is visually distinct from the nazi eagle iconography.

Yes, he did have the nazi one but his explanation of it being a mistake sounds reasonable. Nobody is perfect, we can admit mistakes and change for the better.

[–] ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yes, but the bigger question is, if it was a mistake, why didn't he remedy it in the part 20 years since? He apparently did learn it was a Tottenkopf at some point, if the reports that he has told others that exact thing are to be believed; why wait to cover it up until he was running for office?

Also, he had it covered with a Norse wolf, which, Nazis appropriate Norse imagery to cover up their most unsavory bullshit is a whole goddamn thing...

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

He didn't even wait until he was running for office, he waited until the photo leaked. He never would have disclosed it.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

adding he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police.

Could he be lying and really a secret nazi pretending to be a decent person? Sure. Is a norse wolf a sketchy choice. Yes.

But people not knowing things and then doing something when they find out is reasonable.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 6 days ago

norse symbols, runes, iconography, even thier gods are coopted by nazis.

[–] ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

He knew about it WAAAAY before this year. He only did something about it now because it was interfering with his political ambitions.

He's a disingenuous Nazi twat, and anyone still defending him at this point should really reconsider calling themselves antifascist.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 2 points 5 days ago

That newly presented information does make it look like he was not honest about the timing of when he found out.

[–] JeSuisUnHombre@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago

Good to know, thanks

[–] MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I agree, the description is vague and the symbol was most assuredly was co-opted by Nazis (past and present) just like the swastika, blackletter typeface, Nordic symbols, and a whole bunch of other stuff of historical significance.

But, accidental or not, this seems a pretty cut and dry comparison, art-wise.

collapsed inline mediathe tattoo

collapsed inline mediathe artwork

collapsed inline mediaThe same artwork in a neo-nazi shop

And a quick search of the historical context

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Depending on the person, id give it the benefit of doubt for a case of "You were in the wrong tattoo parlor and didn't recognize the more subtle nazi and/or supremacist dogwhistles".

Politicians are blatantly exempt from any benefit of doubt. They have PR teams for this shit, and couldn't be bothered to utilize that.

If your PR team is well versed on the minutia of Nazi symbology, they are either expensive or they are Nazis.

Establishment candidates have more support from the national party than progressive primary candidates running for the chance to challenge an incumbent. I’d give the latter more benefit of the doubt, especially when they express remorse and regret.

he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police. … while his campaign initially said he would remove the tattoo, he chose to cover it up with another tattoo due to the limited options where he lives in rural Maine. … “Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,” he said. “I wanted this thing off my body.”