Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA.) former 2020 presidential campaign staffers have been called out for getting tattoos to commemorate her run, which ended on 5 March, by getting tattoos that have been perceived as bringing to mind numerical identification tattoos given to Holocaust concentration camp prisoners during WWII.
Throughout Warren’s 2020 Democratic nomination for President her supporters on Twitter used a uniform profile picture or “avi” style on the platform, consisting of a grayscale profile photo of a person alongside a light green background.
Known as the Liberty Green, the hex code for this color is #b7e4cF.
At least two former staffers opted for tattoos on their arms in Elizabeth Warren’s handwriting, displaying the hex code for the campaign’s “Liberty Green” theme.
“First campaign, first tattoo,” wrote one of the staffers, Eric Ziminsky, in a caption to his tattoo image.
It has been suggested on social media the staffers had been aware of likely criticism over their choice but went ahead regardless, as former Warren campaign design director Raquel Breternitz, the other staffer, noted in her post that she had “thought about” the possible association to Nazi concentration camps, and placed the tattoo where “it wouldn’t be seen on the outer arm.”
“It’s her handwriting and my partner is Jewish. I’m so, so sorry it feels that way for you but I promise I thought about that and chose placement so it wouldn’t be seen on the outer arm,” wrote Raquel Breternitz after an avalanche of criticism.
Both individuals who are confirmed to have already gotten the Warren tattoo, Raquel Breternitz and Eric Ziminsky, have apologized for their lapse of judgement, confessing to “missing the mark” and vowing to “take steps to modify the tattoo”.
Netizens wasted no time in pointing out what they saw as obvious, even if accidental, reference to Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust.
Some netizens believed that not only the staffers themselves should be held to account, and demanded that Elizabeth warren “take responsibility”.
Some comments by users adopted a more placatory tone.
The disconcerting posts by the staffers also ignited a parody meme-fest on Twitter “inspired by Elizabeth Warren.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren announced her candidacy in the 2020 United States presidential election on 9 February 2019, and was briefly considered the front-runner in autumn of last year.
The Massachusetts senator dropped out of the presidential race following a round of disappointing finishes in primary contests across the country on Super Tuesday.