Graham Planter (Photo courtesy of Team Graham)
Maine Senate candidate Graham Planter admitted that he got a tattoo years ago with an image deemed a Nazi symbol and said he plans to have the tattoo removed.
Planter addressed the tattoo and controversial Reddit posts he made between 2013 and 2021 during an appearance on the podcast Pod Save America on Monday, where his campaign team posted a video of him dancing shirtless with the tattoo visible on his chest.
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"I am not a secret Nazi," Platner said in the interview. "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'd say a lifelong opponent."
The Associated Press reported that Platner is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Maine that has been held by Republican Susan Collins since 1997. Planter is in a crowded field for the nomination that includes Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
Planter discusses tattoo and online posts
What they're saying:
Graham Planter addressed the tattoo during an interview saying he received it in 2007, when he was in his 20s. Planter mentioned that he got it in Kosovo while on leave with Marines during a night of drinking.
But on Tuesday, Planter released a statement obtained by the Associated Press, where he stated: "It was not until I started hearing from reporters and DC insiders that I realized this tattoo resembled a Nazi symbol. I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that – and to insinuate that I did is disgusting. I am already planning to get this removed."
Planter went on to share in the statement that in the 20 years since he got the tattoo, he enlisted in the Army, which involved a full physical that examines tattoos for hate symbols. "I also passed a full background check to receive a security clearance to join the Ambassador to Afghanistan’s security detail." The notion of his tattoo as a Nazi symbol never came up."
Regarding his old online posts, Platner tried to explain his past comments in a video posted on X on Oct. 17. In the posts, he discussed his past comments dismissing military sexual assaults, questioning Black patrons’ gratuity habits and condemning police officers and rural Americans.
"I see someone I don’t recognize," Planter shared in the five-minute apology video.
Who is Graham Planter?
The backstory:
Graham Planter is a Marine and U.S. Army veteran who is running for U.S. Senate in Maine.
Planter enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after graduating from high school in 2003. Following his third deployment, he enrolled at George Washington University and later joined the Maryland Army National Guard in 2009.
After four tours overseas, Planter returned to his hometown of Sullivan, Maine, where he worked on his friend’s oyster farm. He also serves as the town’s harbormaster and planning board chair, according to his website.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX News, the Associated Press, Graham Planter’s website and social media posts from Planter and his campaign team. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.