Maine's Graham Platner Faces Difficult Questions About His Record — and a Tattoo
As the Democratic Party in Maine begins to rally behind Gov. Janet Mills as their top choice to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a fresh candidate has emerged who is facing an uphill battle to shake off concerns about his past behavior. Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran, initially gained popularity with his energetic campaign events that drew massive crowds, but recent revelations have put his candidacy in jeopardy.
Platner's troubles began when old social media posts resurfaced, showing him making comments that many considered inflammatory and racist. These included a post where he called himself a "communist" and expressed disdain for law enforcement, as well as another where he suggested rural white Americans are "racist and stupid." In response to these remarks, Platner disavowed his earlier rhetoric, but other problematic messages have since emerged.
A recent report by The Bangor Daily News revealed that Platner had asked online why Black people don't tip, suggesting that patrons of bars concerned about being raped shouldn't be inebriated around people they didn't feel comfortable with. In response to this revelation, Platner's political director resigned.
Now, a new issue has come to light: Platner's tattoo, which bears striking resemblance to a Nazi symbol. According to Politico, the tattoo was obtained nearly two decades ago while Platner was serving in the Marines and was reportedly an accident – he didn't realize the tattoo resembled a hate symbol at the time. However, many are questioning why Platner waited so long to address this issue.
The damage control efforts by Platner's team have been seen as insufficient by some. When asked about his past on the popular podcast "Pod Save America," Platner denied being a "secret Nazi," but in doing so, his campaign has raised more questions than answers.
As Democratic officials continue to rally behind Mills, it is likely that party support will intensify for her candidacy, further distancing herself from Platner's controversies. The Maine Senate race has just become even more complicated and contentious, with Platner facing an uncertain future amidst these difficult questions about his record – and a tattoo.
As the Democratic Party in Maine begins to rally behind Gov. Janet Mills as their top choice to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a fresh candidate has emerged who is facing an uphill battle to shake off concerns about his past behavior. Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran, initially gained popularity with his energetic campaign events that drew massive crowds, but recent revelations have put his candidacy in jeopardy.
Platner's troubles began when old social media posts resurfaced, showing him making comments that many considered inflammatory and racist. These included a post where he called himself a "communist" and expressed disdain for law enforcement, as well as another where he suggested rural white Americans are "racist and stupid." In response to these remarks, Platner disavowed his earlier rhetoric, but other problematic messages have since emerged.
A recent report by The Bangor Daily News revealed that Platner had asked online why Black people don't tip, suggesting that patrons of bars concerned about being raped shouldn't be inebriated around people they didn't feel comfortable with. In response to this revelation, Platner's political director resigned.
Now, a new issue has come to light: Platner's tattoo, which bears striking resemblance to a Nazi symbol. According to Politico, the tattoo was obtained nearly two decades ago while Platner was serving in the Marines and was reportedly an accident – he didn't realize the tattoo resembled a hate symbol at the time. However, many are questioning why Platner waited so long to address this issue.
The damage control efforts by Platner's team have been seen as insufficient by some. When asked about his past on the popular podcast "Pod Save America," Platner denied being a "secret Nazi," but in doing so, his campaign has raised more questions than answers.
As Democratic officials continue to rally behind Mills, it is likely that party support will intensify for her candidacy, further distancing herself from Platner's controversies. The Maine Senate race has just become even more complicated and contentious, with Platner facing an uncertain future amidst these difficult questions about his record – and a tattoo.
. I mean, making inflammatory comments and then disavowing them later doesn't exactly make you seem like the most trustworthy guy. And now this tattoo thing? Come on, dude, that's just not cool 
. He needs to be honest with himself and the people of Maine about what happened back then and how it affected him. Until he can do that, I'm not sure why anyone should take his candidacy seriously 
. And yeah, Mills is looking stronger by the minute - if she wins, it's gonna be a big blow to Platner and all those who supported him 
this guy platner is like a total trainwreck 
, first he thinks he can get away with saying racist stuff online, but no one lets him off that easy 
then he tries to spin it as if he's not racist, but it just comes across as weak and insincere 
20 years goes by and you still got the nerve to say you didn't know what it meant? 
anyway, i feel bad for mills and her team cuz platner's antics are gonna hurt her chances big time 
. I mean, you've got a candidate who was initially seen as the underdog but now finds himself at the center of controversy after old social media posts resurfaced showing some really inflammatory comments. And now, this new issue with the tattoo... it's just not looking good for him.
#TooLittleTooLate. And don't even get me started on those racist and inflammatory comments... that's like, a major red flag 
#RacistPast. I'm trying to stay neutral here, but I gotta say, his campaign is doing some pretty questionable damage control 
. One minute he's all about bringing in new ideas and shaking things up, and the next, his past mistakes are coming back to haunt him 
. His team needs to get their act together and figure out how he's gonna fix this mess before it's too late 
.
, how could he not know what a nazi symbol looks like back in the day? it's just sloppy, like platner's team is trying to spin this but they're not fooling anyone 
... anyway, I guess some people's past mistakes can be kinda like that - hard to clean up no matter how hard you try 
. And yeah, those old social media posts are super problematic 
. It's not about whitewashing his past or making excuses, but more about learning from our mistakes and growing as a person.
. And hey, at least we're having this conversation, right? 
. Like, who makes comments that sound super racist and inflammatory? And now it's come out that he asked a stupid question online about why Black people don't tip... what is wrong with this guy?! 
. The Maine Senate race is getting more complicated by the minute... I think Mills might still have a shot at it, but Platner needs to do some serious soul-searching ASAP 
Graham Platner's whole thing is getting super messy... Like, I get that we all say stuff we regret later, but this dude's past comments are just straight up problematic 
, but honestly, it's hard to trust him right now. I'm not sure if he can recover from all this 
. The more Platner tries to spin this, the more he's gonna lose support 
. And now this tattoo thing? It's like he's trying to one-up himself with all the controversy. I'm just waiting for him to announce that he's secretly been writing novels in his spare time...