Sen. Van Hollen defends Maine Senate candidate's Nazi tattoo citing PTSD

[ad_1] Major shake-up in Maine Senate Democratic primary Chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reviews after Gov. Janet Mills drops out of the Maine Senate Democratic main, leaving controversial candidate Graham Platner because the presumptive nominee.

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Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., pushed again towards criticism of U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner over his " Nazi tattoo " and previous on-line feedback, arguing that Platner’s conduct could also be linked to PTSD stemming from his deployment to Afghanistan and that he deserves a second probability.

Platner, an Military and Marine Corps veteran, is vying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Now that Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate marketing campaign Thursday, Platner has turn into the main Democratic candidate in Maine’s U.S. Senate race.

In an interview with Punchbowl Information’ Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer, Van Hollen described Platner as a candidate that "can beat Susan Collins" and enchantment to a broad coalition of supporters, significantly blue-collar staff, labor teams and Native American tribes. Van Hollen stated though Platner has had his "ups and downs," he has confirmed capable of join with voters.

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Graham Platner, a Democrat from Maine and U.S. Senate candidate, speaks in South Portland, Maine, on March 6, 2026. (Sofia Aldinio/Bloomberg)

"The dude has a Nazi tattoo," Sherman requested. "How do you view that?" He went on to counsel that may be "disqualifying" to run for workplace.

"Let's take a pair points, together with the feedback he is made up to now," Van Hollen stated. "I imply, he is been very clear that he went into fight on behalf of the USA. He went by means of a extremely tough interval, a PTSD-type interval."

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., speaks throughout a rally in Washington, D.C., on April 29, 2025, supporting detained Columbia scholar Mohsen Mahdawi, who faces a deportation listening to after being detained throughout a citizenship interview. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs)

"He himself stated there are many issues he is executed and stated that he utterly regrets, and I do consider folks ought to have second probabilities and that individuals can study from their errors, and I feel he is been doing that," Van Hollen continued.

In October, Platner instructed reporters {that a} tattoo on his chest resembling the Totenkopf , a skull-and-crossbones image related to Nazi police, had been coated.

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In past Reddit posts , Platner stated he was a "communist," accused rural White Individuals of being racist and silly, and stated cops had been "bastards." Platner stated he was in search of "to get an increase out of individuals" along with his Reddit posts.

Platner has acquired the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., and shares his imaginative and prescient of implementing socialist insurance policies like "Medicare-for-all" and dismantling the billionaire class.