>>24631109 PB
>he's 'working class', just like you
The New Yorker, for example, asked whether "a Maine oyster farmer" can defeat incumbent Republican senator Susan Collins. The Washington Post labeled Platner one of its "rugged guys of the 2026 midterms" alongside two other bearded, tattooed Democratic candidates. Bon Appétit, the foodie magazine, hailed Platner as a "working-class oysterman" poised to become Maine's version of Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate for New York City mayor.
There are other markers of a privileged upbringing. Platner's father, Bronson Platner, is a prominent Maine attorney, and his grandfather, Warren Platner, was the architect who built the headquarters for the Ford Foundation. A New York Times obituary described his works as "enduring icon[s] of 1960s Modernism." His archives are stored at Yale University.
Platner has faced criticism for a series of inflammatory Reddit posts and, more recently, for a Nazi symbol tattooed to his chest. In the Reddit posts, Platner described himself as a "communist" and an "antifa supersoldier." He promoted violent political action, stating in 2018 that "an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice." Platner also claimed an affiliation with the Maine chapter of the Socialist Rifle Association and said he provided firearm instruction to the group, which has referred to police officers as "fascist pigs."
Platner has said he is embarrassed by the posts, which he wrote when he was in his 30s. He referred to them as the musings of a Reddit "shit poster" fueled by anger and alcohol. "I also used to like to get drunk and post on Reddit, because that was fun when I was angry and alone," Platner told Pod Save America.
Inebriation is also Platner's explanation for the Nazi tattoo he got in Croatia while serving in the Marines in 2007. The tattoo is a Totenkopf, a skull and crossbones tattoo affiliated with Nazi Germany and white supremacist groups. "We got very inebriated, and we did what Marines on liberty do, and we decided to go get a tattoo," Platner said.
He told Pod Save America's Tommy Vietor, a former van driver for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign, that he was unaware of the tattoo's symbolism.
Two Platner associates have contradicted his claim of ignorance. Genevieve McDonald, who resigned as Platner's political director over the Reddit posts, said Platner is a "history buff" who likely knew the meaning behind the tattoo. And a person who knew Platner when he lived in Washington, D.C., told Jewish Insider that Platner fondly referred to the tattoo as "my Totenkopf."
Platner has now covered up the tattoo, revealing the new design—a wolf with Celtic imagery—during a television interview in Maine.
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/working-class-graham-platner-attended-elite-75k-a-year-prep-school-known-for-famous-government-alumni/