Sanders Confronts Towel-Clad Protesters Outside DSCC Over Graham Platner Tattoo

Bernie Sanders confronted towel-clad Republican staffers outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., after they challenged his support for Graham Platner Tattoo. The exchange came as Sanders and other top Democrats met with Platner ahead of his June 9 primary.

The protesters asked Sanders, "Do you support Graham Platner even though he's on Kik?" Sanders replied, "Are you with the Republican party?" One protester answered, "It doesn't matter," while video showed the group wearing towels and mocking Platner's shirtless Kik profile photo.

DSCC Headquarters Protest

The confrontation unfolded outside the DSCC headquarters this week, where Republican protesters included staffers from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Sanders lashed out at them after they pressed him over Platner, the Democratic Senate candidate from Maine.

Platner's campaign has already faced scrutiny over a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol that he has since covered up. It has also faced resurfaced Reddit posts that blamed rape victims, pushed racial stereotypes, mocked a Purple Heart veteran and encouraged political violence.

Platner Campaign Scrutiny

Just days before the June 9 primary, it was reported that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit text messages with other women during his marriage. The protesters centered their criticism on the Kik profile photo and the broader controversy around his campaign, including the app's reputation; child-safety groups have called Kik a "predator’s paradise."

Sanders' exchange with the protesters kept the focus on Platner's political damage at the DSCC headquarters, where top Democrats were gathering with him as the primary approached. The confrontation left the campaign's problems on public display rather than inside the building.