Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner apologizes for using ‘R-word’
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Progressive U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner apologized Wednesday for using the R-word during a recent interview about the tattoo controversy.
talk with Maine Monitor Last week, Platner described his reaction to learning he had been accused of having a Nazi tattoo after it was revealed that Hitler had a skull and crossbones tattoo similar to the Totenkopf used by the SS paramilitary forces.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,'” Platner said. “‘No, I don’t have a white supremacist tattoo,’ and I never thought about it again. Then it came to my mind and I was like, ‘Holy crap…'”
GRAHAM PLATNER LINKS NAZI TATTOO TO MILITARY ‘CULTURE’, RACES REACTION FROM GOP VETERANS
Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, used the R-word to describe his reaction to the tattoo controversy. (WGME via AP)
Platner faced backlash from disability advocacy organizations, which condemned the Maine Democrat for using language that “impaired her dignity.”
“For decades, people with disabilities and their allies have fought to eliminate the use of the R-word, a disability-oriented term rooted in discrimination and exclusion,” said Kim Moody, CEO of Maine Disability Rights. he said in a statement. “This language is not harmless; it reinforces stigma, diminishes dignity, and undermines the value and contributions of people with disabilities in our societies.”
In an interview with WMTV 8ABCPlatner apologized for his comments and said he was “trying to improve” his language.
DEMOCRATIC MAINE Senate Candidate GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTS MS NOW HOSTS OVER TATTOO DEBATE
Graham Platner apologized for his comments and said he was “trying” to improve. (Graham Platner Senate campaign)
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to say that. I try to improve every day. I’m not a perfect person and I continue to try to get better,” Platner said. “I will say that my politics is inclusivity and showing up for everyone, and I will continue to represent that every day in our policies and campaigns.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign and Disability Rights Maine for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Platner’s apology follows a series of controversies surrounding the candidate since he launched his campaign in the fall.
GRAHAM PLATNER CLAIMS VOTERS INTERESTED IN TRANS ATHLETES ARE ‘RULED BY BILLIONAIRES’
Platner also apologized for his controversial Reddit posts. (Sophie Park/Getty Images)
In addition to the controversy surrounding his tattoo, Platner has faced backlash for old Reddit posts in which he made many provocative and offensive comments. In his posts, he referred to himself as a communist, praised Hamas’ military tactics, and said people concerned about rape should not “get so fed up with having sex with someone they don’t want it to happen.”
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Platner apologized for his comments and stated that the combat deployments and challenges following his service affected him.
