In another Democratic display of selective outrage, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) announced on X that she has formally endorsed Graham Platner for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat, despite his Nazi Totenkopf tattoo which he now maintains is “eminently reasonable”.
Warren’s endorsement arrives as Graham appears to be fishing for endorsements amid the tattoo controversy, while Warren once condemned Pete Hegseth’s tattoo during his confirmation for Secretary of Defense. In typical left-wing fashion, Warren claimed Hegseth’s tattoo as right-wing extremism substantial enough to him an “insider threat”, Despite this, Warren appears to be fine with a candidate proudly branded in Nazi symbology.
[Related: New Mexico Shrugs Off Schumer, Joins Platner Endorsement Party]
Platner, who has flip-flopped his stance on his own tattoo, now stands by the tattoo as “eminently reasonable” after showing regret initially. He has recently abandoned the regretful approach and shows no expression of apology or plans to remove that tattoo announced.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren announced her support for Platner on X writing:
“Graham Platner’s got the grit to fight for what’s right on behalf of Maine’s working families—not billionaires and giant corporations. He’s inspired a grassroots movement to flip Maine, and I’m thrilled to endorse @grahamformaine for Senate.”
The endorsement places Platner center stage as the progressive dark horse in what is expected to be one of the most competitive races of the election cycle.
[Related: Platner Hides Behind Allies As Mills Forces Ad Reckoning Over Past Remarks]
This comes as Warren’s willingness to endorse a candidate with extremist symbology tattooed on his chest, although she once authored a letter referencing Pete Hegseth’s tattoo back in 2020:
“You were also removed from President Biden’s inauguration because of concerns that you were an insider threat after reports that your ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo ‘was a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism.’ We cannot have a Defense Secretary whose fellow servicemembers feel concerned enough about to report as a potential insider threat.”
The phrase “Deus Vult” translated to “God wills it” and is argued to be incorrectly associated with Christian extremism by certain political establishments.
Warren was called out by a user on X named Greg Price (@greg_price11), referencing the 2020 letter targeting the current Secretary of Defense:
“When Pete Hegseth was going through his confirmation hearing, Elizabeth Warren wrote an entire letter about how his ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo made him ‘a right wing extremist’ unfit for service. She just endorsed the guy with the Nazi tattoo”, wrote the user.
The juxtaposition of the situation is prominent as Warren once deemed a tattoo related to medieval Christianity as disqualifying evidence of extremism. Yet, in present day she enthusiastically backs a candidate that openly embraces a tattoo mirroring a symbol that the Anti-Defamation League identifies as a hate emblem tied to Nazism.
With the Democratic primary approaching, Maine residents continue to weigh candidate options amid Warren’s past rhetoric and her new endorsement of a controversial candidate. The contrast, however, is irrefutable as the endorsement stands as a clear symbol of partisan alignment being judged by personal principle and opinion.
