SouthernWorldwide.com – A House Democrat has faced criticism from both the left and the right after seemingly softening his stance on a scandal-plagued Maine candidate.
Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., initially ignited outrage on the left when he condemned Graham Platner’s Nazi-linked tattoo and stated, “I hope Maine voters agree with me.” Platner is the presumptive Maine Senate nominee for the Democratic party.
However, after clarifying that he was not endorsing Platner’s opponent, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and stepping back from his earlier call for Maine voters to oppose Platner, Auchincloss found himself under fire from both political sides.
Platner has been subjected to increasing scrutiny since revealing last year that he once possessed a black skull-and-crossbones tattoo. He explained that he acquired it while drinking during leave on a Marine deployment in Croatia and did not recognize it as a Nazi symbol at the time.
Auchincloss addressed the situation on social media, stating, “Susan Collins is a rubber stamp for the worst admin in history. Claims that I would endorse her, implicitly or otherwise, ignore my track record supporting Democrats to take back both chambers.” He reiterated his earlier sentiment, adding, “As I said months ago, I find Platner’s Nazi tattoo and his commentary about it personally disqualifying. If it were me, I’d vote for someone else in the Maine Democratic primary.”
“Regardless of what happens in Maine, Democrats need to take back the Senate, and I’ll keep working hard to make it happen,” he concluded.
Leftist journalist Peter Beinart criticized Auchincloss’s position, calling it “totally incoherent.” Beinart argued, “The race is between Platner and Collins.”
He further stated, “If @JakeAuch opposes them both, then he doesn’t care if Maine elects a Democratic senator. And if he doesn’t care if Maine elects a Democratic senator, he doesn’t care very much about Democrats taking the Senate.”
Progressive commentator Rachel Bitecofer mocked Auchincloss, who is a Jewish Democrat, for concentrating on Platner’s tattoo, which resembles a Nazi design, instead of addressing what she termed “actual policy Nazis” within the Republican Party.
“We need to take back the Senate, but don’t vote for the D because I want to pretend a tattoo and not positions make him a Nazi while we are facing actual policy Nazis,” Bitecofer wrote.
Tommy Vietor, an ally of Platner and co-host of the podcast “Pod Save America,” questioned whether Auchincloss’s objections to Platner could be resolved through a direct conversation. Vietor asked, “Have you called or met with him to discuss it?”
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Conservatives, meanwhile, accused Auchincloss of capitulating to the left after his initial criticism of Platner. Will Chamberlain, senior counsel at the Trump-aligned Article III Project, sarcastically commented, “It only took 24 hours for you to bend the knee to the Nazi tattoo guy? Your ancestors are rolling in their graves.”
Republican communicator Tim Murtaugh offered a similar sentiment, remarking, “You’re a real profile in courage, dude.”
Conservative journalist Curtis Houck mockingly wrote, “Well, well, well, look who’s back with their tail between their knees.” Houck drew a comparison between Auchincloss’s comments and those of Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. Moulton also faced backlash for diverging from Democratic positions on transgender issues after the 2024 election.
Moulton has since aligned himself with the party line on transgender rights as he campaigns for the Senate in deeply liberal Massachusetts.
Auchincloss was among a group of Democrats who urged Platner to withdraw from the Democratic primary. This call came after Platner disclosed his Nazi-linked tattoo on an episode of “Pod Save America” in October 2025.
Platner, who is supported by Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., became the presumptive Democratic nominee after Governor Janet Mills, D-Maine, withdrew her campaign before the June 9 primary.
Platner, 41, reportedly wore the tattoo for almost two decades. He claims he got it in 2007 while inebriated with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia.
He has since covered the tattoo and consistently maintained that he was unaware of the symbol’s Nazi origins. However, CNN and Jewish Insider have reported that Platner was aware of the design’s association with the Nazi SS.
Platner has also faced severe criticism for deleted Reddit posts, some as recent as 2021. In these posts, he referred to himself as a communist, asserted that White rural Americans are “actually” racist and unintelligent, and described all law enforcement officials as “bastards,” among other deleted messages.
Senator Collins is widely considered to be the most vulnerable Republican incumbent seeking re-election. This closely contested race is considered crucial for Democrats if they aim to regain control of the Senate during the midterm elections.
