What Graham Platner has said about Graham Platner Reddit posts and tattoo controversy

2 quotes · 1 episode · Jun 1, 2026

Graham Platner, Presumptive Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, has been quoted on Graham Platner Reddit posts and tattoo controversy 2 times in 1 episode of Up First from NPR, most recently on June 1, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.

In their words

Platner attributes voters' acceptance of his old Reddit posts mainly to forgiveness after he explained his transformation since his infantry years.
“Well, I think it's mostly forgiveness. Because when I explained it, I just pointed out that, look, I've not always been who I am today”
Up First from NPR: Can Graham Platner survive another controversy? | NPR’s Newsmakers (Jun 1, 2026) · Listen from 22:04
Platner says his skull tattoo never raised concerns across 17 years, including repeated screenings for gang and hate tattoos.
“But for 17 years of my life, including getting screened for tattoos, never once came up”
Up First from NPR: Can Graham Platner survive another controversy? | NPR’s Newsmakers (Jun 1, 2026) · Listen from 25:57

Can Graham Platner survive another controversy? | NPR’s Newsmakers
Up First from NPR · Jun 1, 2026 · 48 min
Leila Fadel interviews Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner about his working-class politics, past controversies, masculinity, the Iran war, Pete Hegseth, and beating Susan Collins.