View Hosts Criticize Maine Senate Hopeful Over Tattoo

Clear Facts

• The co-hosts of ABC’s ‘The View’ criticized Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner for revealing a Nazi-style tattoo.
• Platner said he got the tattoo while intoxicated in Croatia in 2007, before joining the Army and getting a security clearance.
• Controversial past online posts from Platner recently resurfaced, causing additional scrutiny in his campaign.

The hosts of ‘The View’ expressed strong disapproval after Graham Platner’s Nazi-style tattoo became public earlier this week. Platner insisted he received it after a night of drinking with fellow Marines.

“I mean, doesn’t anybody recognize that if you’re going to run for office, your stuff’s going to come up?” co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked.

She added that candidates should reveal personal mistakes before critics find them, saying continuing excuses make it seem worse.

Co-host Sara Haines noted the incident, paired with Platner’s old Reddit posts, would raise concerns for voters. She commented that such a tattoo cannot be dismissed as a simple error.

“Although everyone has a past, not everyone can whip up an antisemitic or racist tattoo that they accidentally got on spring break when they were drinking,” Haines said.

She noted the population of Maine offers many other choices, suggesting the state could easily find a different candidate.

Co-host Joy Behar questioned why a candidate without such a past could not be found. “There are 340 million people in this country. They can’t find one without a Nazi tattoo?” Behar stated.

Sunny Hostin pointed out that some Democrats defended Platner but agreed the behavior deserved serious consequences. She said that denying association with Nazi imagery on a podcast should signal an end to a candidacy.

“When you get to the point where you’re denying on a podcast that you’re a Nazi, I think it’s over. And, so, it’s just over,” Hostin said.

Alyssa Farah Griffin emphasized holding all candidates to the same standards regarding Nazi imagery. She called for high moral standards for public office.

“There has to be a standard of behavior in this country for elected officials. There was a time where you wanted moral superiority in your leaders. So, if you’re Nazi-adjacent on the right or the left, you have no business being in public life. Step aside for someone else who could run for that seat,” Griffin said.

The group agreed Platner’s tattoo scandal was significant, even as he claimed he was drunk when he got it.

Whoopi Goldberg highlighted the importance of personal responsibility and advised candidates to address past mistakes before they become public knowledge.

“Listen, I’m simply saying that I can’t tell you that when I used to get drunk, I didn’t do stupid stuff, but what I can tell you is that I know I drank and did stupid stuff and I took responsibility for it, and that’s what I’m saying before it’s uncovered by other people. And don’t think I don’t think y’all wouldn’t be looking for something,” Goldberg said.

Platner’s recent comments and resurfaced Reddit posts, including calling himself a communist and making anti-police remarks, have put increased pressure on his campaign.

Platner apologized for the tattoo, reaffirmed his intent to remain in the race, and stated that skull tattoos are not uncommon in military settings.

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Read the full report at Fox News