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US Senate candidate Graham Platner apologized Wednesday for using the R word during a recent interview about his tattoo controversy.
Speaking to the Maine Monitor last week, Platner described his reaction to learning he was accused of having a Nazi tattoo after it was revealed he had a skull and crossbones tattoo similar to the Totenkopf used by Hitler's SS soldiers.
“I was like, 'Well, that's the most f—ing——- s— I've ever heard in my life,'” Platner said. “'No, I don't have a White supremacist painting,' and I didn't think about it again. And then it came up later, and I was like, 'God f—ing damn it.'
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Graham Platner, a Democratic member of the US Senate in Maine, used the R-word to describe his reaction to his tattoo controversy. (WGME via AP)
Platner faced criticism from disability advocacy groups that criticized the Maine Democrat for using “degrading” language.
“For decades, people with disabilities and their allies have been fighting to end the use of the R-word – a powerful word that is rooted in discrimination and exclusion,” said Kim Moody, CEO of Disability Rights Maine, in a statement. “This language is not dangerous; it reinforces stigma, diminishes dignity, and undermines the value and contributions of people with disabilities in our communities.”
In an interview with WMTV 8 ABC, Platner apologized for his comments and said he was “trying to improve” his language.
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Graham Platner apologized for his comments and said he was “trying” to improve. (Graham Platner Senate Campaign)
“I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said it. I'm trying to get better every day. I'm not perfect, and I keep trying to get better,” Platner said. “I will say that my politics is to include everyone and to represent everyone, and I will continue every day to represent that in our policies and in our campaign.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Platner's campaign and Disability Rights Maine for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Platner's apology follows a series of controversies surrounding the candidate since he launched his campaign in the fall.
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Platner also apologized for the controversial Reddit post. (Sophie Park/Getty Images)
Along with the controversy surrounding his tattoo, Platner faced backlash for an old Reddit post where he made several inflammatory and offensive comments. In his posts, a self-proclaimed communist, he praised Hamas' military tactics and suggested that people worried about rape should not “have fun — end up sleeping with someone they didn't mean to.”
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Platner apologized for his comments and cited military deployments and his own struggles after his service as influencing him at the time.
