A senior House Democrat has joined the growing group of critics questioning Senate candidate Graham Platner’s claim regarding his lack of awareness about his tattoo’s Nazi origins. Rep. Brad Schneider, Democrat from Illinois, expressed skepticism by stating, ‘There’s no way he didn’t know what the tattoo was,’ as reported by Punchbowl News.
Schneider, who chairs the largest caucus of House Democrats, commented on Platner’s reluctance to address the issue straightforwardly. Besides the tattoo controversy, Platner has faced scrutiny for sending sexually explicit messages while newly married, maintaining a history of offensive social media posts over decades, and facing allegations of abuse in previous relationships.
Platner, a progressive candidate, aims to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine during the approaching midterm elections in November. Despite being the apparent nominee for the Maine Democrats, some party insiders are wondering about his potential success given the series of controversies.
Schneider’s remarks followed a report by The New York Times, which included statements from several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends. These women claimed Platner was aware of his tattoo’s Nazi-related design. One woman, identified as Lyndsey Fifield, shared that Platner explained the words behind his skull-and-crossbones tattoo, jokingly referring to it as ‘my Totenkopf’ and suggesting similarities with the Nazi SS forces.
‘He would joke about it being a Nazi tattoo,’ Fifield said, mentioning that Platner believed his unit shared similarities with the SS paramilitary forces.
Platner denied these claims in an interview with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes but struggled to clarify how Fifield informed her friends about the Nazi-linked tattoo in August 2025, a claim Platner first publicly disclosed months later.
During that interview, Hayes pressed Platner, ‘How does she know it’s a Nazi tattoo in August, and you don’t know it’s a Nazi tattoo in August?’ Platner responded, ‘I can’t say why’ and stated he did not receive the messages through which Fifield recognized the symbol.
Fifield also accused Platner of assault, which Platner denied as false. Since the controversy emerged in late 2025, Platner has had the tattoo covered up. He initially acquired it two decades ago during a night out with fellow Marines while stationed in Croatia in 2007.
Despite divisions among Democrats regarding Platner’s candidacy, Schneider indicated a personal struggle to support him if he were a voter in Maine, as highlighted by Punchbowl News. Schneider expressed gratitude for not having to choose in that election.
Other Democrats, such as Rep. Jake Auchincloss from Massachusetts and Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, have criticized Platner’s handling of the situation. Fetterman remarked on CNN, ‘If someone had a clear Nazi tattoo, you probably could conclude they’re a Nazi sympathizer.’
Schneider’s New Democrat Coalition is the largest among House Democrats, boasting more than 100 members. Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign for comments before the publication of this story.