Warren warned Hegseth's tattoo made him a potential 'threat' — now she backs candidate with Nazi-linked ink

By Fox News · Fox News

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sidestepped Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s Nazi-linked tattoo in her glowing endorsement Thursday, despite previously expressing alarm over Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Christian tattoos. Warren, one of the Senate’s most liberal members who is seeking to recruit progressive candidates, endorsed Platner’s campaign in a video posted to social media Wednesday, calling him "the real deal." "Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right," Warren said. "And the people in Maine are fired up and excited for change." The 41-year-old oyster farmer has been widely criticized for having a chest tattoo of a skull and crossbones resembling a Nazi-linked symbol associated with the SS. Platner has since had the tattoo removed and pleaded ignorance, saying he was unaware of the symbol’s meaning. DEM SENATE CANDIDATE MOCKED AFTER CLAIM ABOUT DISMANTLING ICE GOES VIRAL: 'UNMASK THESE THUGS' When asked about Platner’s host of controversies, Warren largely brushed it off. "Look, he has apologized for that, and he’s out there talking to the people of Maine every single day," Warren told Huffpost on Thursday. Warren’s remarks sharply contrasted with her scrutiny of Hegseth for his Christian tattoos. In the lead-up to Hegseth’s confirmation hearing in early 2025, Warren implied that Hegseth could be a traitor for having certain Christian symbols on his body. The Massachusetts Democrat specifically referenced a Reuters report detailing Hegseth being removed from National Guard duty during former President Joe Biden’s inauguration by a supervisor, who appears to have made a dubious assumption that he could be an "insider threat" over his Christian tattoos. Hegseth had volunteered for inauguration security as a member of the D.C. National Guard and had been employed by Fox News at the time. A senior National Guard member expressed concern over his tattoos of the Jerusalem Cross and the Lati…