Bill Maher endorses controversial Senate candidate Graham Platner despite aspiring lawmaker's Nazi-linked tattoo and sex scandal

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 22:23, 13 June 2026 | Updated: 22:23, 13 June 2026 Bill Maher backed controversial Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner despite the aspiring Democratic lawmaker's recent scandals which include a tattoo with Nazi links and sexual texts to several women outside of his marriage. Marine veteran Platner, 41, is hoping to upset Republican Susan Collins in a pivotal race as Democrats look to flip both chambers of Congress in November's midterms. But the progressive candidate, who has run his campaign on affordable healthcare and anti-establishment rhetoric, has been repeatedly marred by controversies related to his past before politics. That included since-covered ink on his chest of a Totenkopf, widely recognized as a Nazi symbol and the revelation that Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, told his campaign last year that he had been talking to up to 12 women via text. On the latest edition of his Real Time show, Maher urged Mainers to cast a vote for Platner regardless of his growing list of controversies. The late night host predicted that a Platner win in Maine would lead to a Democratic Senate and supposedly 'restore balance in our government.' 'And two, get used to it,' Maher said. 'America is a country filled with a lot of broken, horribly educated, phone-addicted, sort of nutty people.' He added: 'As long as we live in a representative democracy, we are always electing our reflection in the mirror.' Bill Maher threw his support behind aspiring Democratic lawmaker Graham Platner and urged Mainers to vote him into the Senate Maine Senate candidate Platner, 41, is looking to beat longtime incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. He won his state's Democratic primary earlier this week Maher cracked that he 'wish[ed] the tattoo was the scariest thing' about Platner as he noted the aspiring lawmaker's alleged past comments about sexual assault. Platner's former girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, told The New York Times earlier this month that he had told her that rape was about power. Fifield, 40, claimed: 'He said this a lot: If anybody ever broke in here, I would rape them.' She alleged that Platner said it would not be in 'a sexual way' or a 'a gay way.' 'He was like, I would rape them to show them that I'm dominant,' Fifield told the outlet. Noting Platner's reported comments, Maher claimed that 'this is the kind of thing war does to people' as he made a grim prediction about the future of American politics. 'That's who we created,' Maher said. 'Our society is not healthy.' He added: 'We create broken people, so don't expect politicians to suddenly become Lincoln-esque again.' Platner's campaign responded to Fifield's claims by noting her current and past affiliations with conservative groups. Maher mentioned Platner's previous protests of the Iraq war and his subsequent decision to still enlist in the Marine Corps shortly after his high school graduation Platner has come under fire for his previous chest tattoo of a Totenkompf, widely recognized as a Nazi symbol. He has since covered that tattoo up Maher said that Platner's back story screamed 'don't ask' as he brought up his list of list of scandals. 'I don't judge Graham Platner, because I'm just learning who he is,' Maher said. 'Problem is, so is he.' The late night host alluded to Platner's recent comment about his decision to enlist in the Marine Corps after graduating high school, even though he had previously protested the Iraq war. 'You can think the war is dumb, and also like, kind of not want to miss it, you know what I mean?' Platner said in February, per the Wall Street Journal. In response, Maher joked that he felt the same way about 'so many things.' He joked: 'The Oscars, Christmas, Taylor Swift's wedding, that little speech Nicole Kidman gives before the movie comes on where she looks insane.' Maher compared Platner's life to The Hangover movie series even as he endorsed him. 'He doesn't need a term in the Senate, he needs a gap year in Costa Rica,' Maher said. Another recent controversy stemmed from the discovery of Platner's shirtless profile on Kik. Amy Gertner, Platner's wife, infformed the progressive candidate's campaign last year that he had been communicating with to up to 12 women via text Platner's public Kik account featured a shirtless profile picture of the aspiring Maine lawmaker that showed some of his tattoos, though not the one with Nazi links that he has now covered up On Tuesday, Platner easily won the Maine Democratic primary for US Senate despite the scandals that his campaign encountered. Janet Mills, the outgoing governor of the state, dropped out of the race in April but had remained on the ballot. Platner, who counts independent Vermont Sen Bernie Sanders as one of his earliest supporters, is now in a high-stakes race against Republican Sen Susan Collins. Collins has held her seat since 1997 and is the longest-serving Republican woman in Senate history. 'If you believe, as I do, that we can change our politics and change our country, then you must also believe that people can change,' Platner said during his acceptance speech. 'The reason I believe that is because I have lived it,' he added. The Daily Mail has reached out to Platner's campaign and Maher's show for comment. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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