Former VP candidate Tim Walz accused Elon Musk of performing a Nazi salute without evidence, yet now campaigns for Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner, who wore an SS skull and crossbones tattoo for nearly 20 years.
The Double Standard Emerges
Walz appeared on MSNBC defending his Musk accusation, stating flatly that the tech billionaire gave a Nazi salute. The Minnesota governor dismissed any debate as exhausting spin, declaring the matter settled. Days later, he announced plans to campaign in Maine for Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate who displayed the Totenkopf symbol—the SS death’s head insignia the Anti-Defamation League identifies as Nazi iconography—on his chest from 2007 until reporters began asking questions. A former staffer told Jewish Insider that Platner referred to the tattoo by its German name, contradicting his claim of ignorance.
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer running as a progressive insurgent, claims he received the tattoo while drunk in Croatia without understanding its meaning. He only covered it with another design when media scrutiny intensified. The cover-up occurred at a local tattoo shop because laser removal was unavailable nearby. Platner went on local television, removed his shirt to display the new artwork, and attempted to move forward. Old Reddit posts surfaced showing him dismissing military sexual assault, questioning Black patrons’ tipping habits, and using homophobic slurs. His former political director quit publicly, stating Platner knows exactly what the tattoo represents.
Party Leadership Falls In Line
Despite the controversy, Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed Platner and held rallies across Maine, calling him a stronger candidate than Governor Janet Mills. That support continued after the tattoo revelation became public. Mills entered the race with backing from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as the electable alternative but suspended her campaign yesterday citing insufficient funding without endorsing Platner. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee immediately pledged to work with Platner as the presumptive nominee against incumbent Senator Susan Collins.
Political Fallout In Swing State
Collins already weaponized the tattoo issue, responding to Democratic attack ads by comparing Schumer’s tactics to covering up an outrageous tattoo—you can paint over it, but everyone knows what lies underneath. Maine’s independent voters comprise 36 percent of the electorate, outnumbering both parties. All damaging material on Platner emerged from Democratic primary opposition. Republican operatives indicate their opposition research remains unused. Walz spent months establishing Nazi imagery as a defining moral boundary, drawing hard lines and demanding universal condemnation. His decision to share a stage with Platner raises questions about whether those standards apply equally or serve purely political purposes.
