SouthernWorldwide.com – U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has strongly condemned Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, diverging from his party’s general silence regarding Platner’s controversial Nazi-linked tattoo.
Auchincloss stated his personal disqualification of Platner due to the tattoo and his explanations for it. He expressed hope that Maine voters would share his sentiment.
The Massachusetts lawmaker believes it would be a strategic error for the Democratic Party to associate itself with Platner’s particular brand of politics, suggesting it would hinder their ability to build lasting majorities across the nation.
Platner, who is the presumed Democratic nominee for the crucial Senate race in Maine, has been under intense scrutiny for months over a tattoo on his chest, which he has possessed for most of his adult life.
The tattoo, which bears a resemblance to a Nazi “totenkopf” or skull-and-crossbones symbol, was reportedly acquired by Platner in 2007 during a night of drinking while he was stationed in Croatia. Platner is a veteran of both the Army and the Marine Corps.
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This past year, Platner had the tattoo covered up following significant backlash. The controversy also involves old Reddit posts where he made offensive statements over a period of nearly a decade.
Platner has consistently maintained that he was unaware of the tattoo’s association with Nazism. However, multiple reports have indicated that Platner was indeed aware of the symbol’s connection to the Nazi SS.
Auchincloss, who is Jewish and represents a district in the Boston area, stands out as one of the few Democrats who have publicly criticized Platner for the tattoo and his past controversial remarks.
He was the first Democratic lawmaker to call for Platner’s withdrawal from the race in October 2025, shortly after the tattoo and Platner’s past statements surfaced.
Despite this, the majority of Democratic lawmakers have refrained from commenting on Platner’s situation. This silence comes as Platner is anticipated to face the vulnerable Republican incumbent, Senator Susan Collins, in the general election this November.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, who had previously supported Maine Governor Janet Mills in her unsuccessful primary bid, offered only lukewarm support for Platner after Mills withdrew from the race.
Meanwhile, prominent progressive figures, including Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have strongly endorsed Platner’s campaign.
Senator Warren, in particular, described Platner as “her kind of man,” despite the numerous controversies surrounding him.
Auchincloss clarified his position in a statement released on social media on Tuesday, emphasizing that he does not support Senator Collins’s campaign.
He asserted that Collins is a “rubber stamp for the worst admin in history” and that any claims of his implicit or explicit endorsement of her ignore his consistent record of supporting Democrats to regain control of both chambers of Congress.
