During a Sunday appearance on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper, Democrat Senator Chris Murphy pivoted when asked about Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s Nazi tattoo.
“I do want to ask you about the Maine Senate race, because earlier this month, you called Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner ‘impressive,’ but since then, obviously a lot about him has come out, including the fact that he had a Totenkopf, which is a skull head — it’s the Nazi emblem for the SS — he had one of those tattooed on his chest,” Tapper stated. “He’s denied that he knew what the tattoo meant until recently, but CNN did find several times he discussed the Totenkopf emblem in recent years and months. Do you still think Platner is impressive?”
Murphy acknowledged the reporting from CNN, then quickly pivoted to discussing Platner’s military service and calling him “a human being who made mistakes.”
“But I’ve also listened to him talk about, I mean, the difficult time that he went through in his life. And frankly, it’s not unfamiliar to a lot of soldiers who came back from service and had a very difficult time readjusting. So he sounds like a human being to me, a human being who made mistakes, recognizes them, and is very open about it,” Murphy said.
Sen. Chris Murphy says he is “interested to hear from” Graham Platner amid controversy over his Nazi-linked tattoo but says Platner sounds like a “human being who made mistakes, recognizes them, and is very open about it.” pic.twitter.com/qVldjzMDM8
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 26, 2025
Murphy wasn’t so sanguine about alleged Nazi symbolism just a few months ago when Elon Musk was accused of performing a “Nazi salute” at the presidential inauguration.
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After the gesture went viral, multiple high-profile individuals came to Musk’s defense, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Even the left-wing Anti-Defamation League released a statement in defense of Musk, saying the Tesla founder “made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”
But Murphy was apparently deeply concerned, pressing Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) about the incident in a January Senate hearing.
“I think antisemitism work is best when we call out what is happening on both sides of the aisle,” Murphy asked. “What do you think of Elon Musk, perhaps the president’s most visible advisor, doing two ‘Heil Hitler’ salutes last night at the President’s televised rally?”
“No, Elon Musk did not do those salutes … that is simply not the case, and to say so is – the American people are smart. They see through it. They support Elon Musk,” Stefanik replied.
Murphy pressed further still, citing several antisemitic X personalities who claimed what Musk did was a sign.
