Dems quiet on candidate’s Nazi tattoo after slamming Hegseth’s Christian ink

Prominent Democrats who strongly criticized current Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s tattoo of crusader symbolism are now keeping quiet about a progressive Senate candidate who had a Nazi-themed chest tattoo.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, criticized Hegseth for his tattoos, one of a Jerusalem cross and another with the Latin phrase “Deus Vult” (God wills), both of which are linked to the Crusades and ancient Christian symbolism.

Following their comments against Hegseth, Fox News Digital reached out to Warren and Duckworth for comment on the controversy surrounding the presence of a Nazi “death’s head” tattoo on the chest of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Blattner.

Warren has previously expressed her enthusiasm for Platner’s nomination, telling Politico: “I’m excited to see new people enter the race for the Senate,” adding: “Especially those who have a strong voice that they want to use on behalf of people who are often overlooked in the U.S. Senate.”

Are Pete Hegseth’s tattoos a symbol of “Christian nationalism”?

Fox News Digital asked whether Warren and Duckworth condemned Blattner over the tattoos and whether they thought he should withdraw from the race. Neither immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

During Hegseth’s confirmation hearings, Warren sent him a lengthy letter, in which she expressed, among other things, her concerns about his “Deus Vult” tattoo.

“You were also excluded from president Biden’s inauguration over concerns that you pose a domestic threat following reports that your ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo was a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism,” Warren wrote, adding: “We cannot have a Secretary of Defense whose fellow soldiers are concerned enough about being reported as a potential domestic threat.”

Even as secretary, Democrats continued to badger Hegseth about the tattoos. During a hearing in June, Duckworth accused Hegseth of “throwing away money like I and my fellow students did on our first freedom after base camp,” adding, “Fortunately, I didn’t end up getting a questionable tattoo.”

Maine Mamdani: Maine Republican Party Chairman warns of new challenger looking to oust Susan Collins

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, September 30, 2025. (Andrew Harnick/Pool via Reuters)

Blattner, a Marine Corps veteran and progressive who is endorsed by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders, R-Vermont, has drawn widespread criticism for a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest that closely resembles the Totenkopf symbol used by Hitler’s SS.

After the controversy erupted, Blattner said he got the tattoo in 2007 during a “night of drinking” while on leave in Croatia in the Marines and claimed he did not know its historical associations at the time. He has since covered the image with another dog tattoo.

In a video posted to Instagram Wednesday afternoon, Blattner explained that the design was chosen from a wall of Flash tattoos while “singing” with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia.

“We thought it looked great,” he said.

Maine Democratic Senate, backed by Bernie Sanders, apologizes for Nazi tattoos, vows to stay in the race

senator Bernie Sanders speaks at the No Kings Rally in Washington, D.C. on October 18. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead) (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)

He claimed to have “lived a life dedicated to anti-fascism, anti-racism and anti-Nazism” and was “horrified” to learn that it resembled a symbol of hate.

A Sanders spokesperson shared an Axios interview with the senator in which he said, “I’m not a big fan of a team of media going around saying, ‘What do you think about the tattoo on Graham Blattner’s chest’ and ‘Between you and me there might be a more important issue or two.’

Click here to download the FOX NEWS app

The spokesperson also shared another statement from Sanders in which he said of Blatner, “I personally think he is an excellent candidate. I will support him, and I look forward to him becoming Maine’s next senator.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Sanders and Blattner campaigns for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Beyer contributed to this report.