Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts has publicly refused to back his party’s presumptive Senate nominee in Maine, saying Graham Platner’s tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol is “personally disqualifying” — a rare intraparty rebuke that has drawn swift backlash from fellow Democrats.
“I’ve been clear about Graham Platner. I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,” Mr. Auchincloss, who is Jewish, told CNN’s Boris Sanchez on Monday. “I hope Maine voters agree with me. I think it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to think that Graham Platner’s brand of the Democratic Party is what wins us durable majorities throughout this country.”
The controversy centers on a chest tattoo that bears a close resemblance to the Totenkopf, a skull-and-crossbones emblem worn by Adolf Hitler’s SS units during World War II. The Maine Monitor first reported on the tattoo last October after a video from Mr. Platner’s brother’s wedding surfaced showing him dancing shirtless. Mr. Platner, a U.S. Army veteran and oyster farmer, said he got the tattoo in 2007 while serving in the Marine Corps on shore leave in Croatia and was unaware of its Nazi association.
“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,” Mr. Platner said at the time. He subsequently had the tattoo covered with a new design, citing limited removal options in rural Maine.
Mr. Platner’s account of his unawareness has faced scrutiny. Reporting from multiple outlets has raised questions about whether he recognized the tattoo’s Nazi association before it became a campaign issue, and his former political director resigned before the story broke publicly. Mr. Platner has maintained he was unaware of the symbol’s meaning until last October and notes that the tattoo was present when he enlisted in the Army, which screens recruits for hate symbols, and that he later passed a background investigation for a security clearance.
The Senate hopeful is the last remaining candidate in the Democratic primary following the withdrawal of Maine Gov. Janet Mills. He is widely expected to win the June 9 primary and advance to a November general election matchup against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, who has held the seat for nearly 30 years.
When asked whether he could support Mr. Platner in the general election to oust Ms. Collins, Mr. Auchincloss held firm.
“Values and principles always come before party,” he said. “We saw Republicans forget that lesson with Donald Trump in 2016 and how much damage it’s done to the country. I will never forget that lesson.”
The remarks triggered immediate pushback from Saikat Chakrabarti, a Democratic candidate for California’s 11th House District and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
“Jake Auchincloss is essentially endorsing Susan Collins in Maine,” Mr. Chakrabarti wrote on social media. “Absolutely no excuse for a Democrat in the House to back a Republican for Senate in a crucial swing seat. Auchincloss should be primaried.”
Mr. Auchincloss pushed back on the charge that he was abandoning his party, pointing to his backing of Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee in that state. Mr. Talarico won his party’s March 3 primary over Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and will face the winner of Tuesday’s Republican runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has the backing of President Trump.
“He’s a fellow majority Democrat, which is a group of elected officials at the vanguard of reinventing this party,” Mr. Auchincloss said of Mr. Talarico. “We’re going to see Talarico win, whether it’s Paxton or Cornyn.”
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