Are the stains greasy-ish and resist washing out with just water at a sink faucet? That might be softener if so. Are you diluting the softener with warm water to the Max line of the dispenser cup? Less than the max amount means what exactly? Check the dosage instructions on the product for comparison.

Also, switch softener if you continue to use it. Downey is just too thick and waxy. I switched to Snuggle and have measurably reduced buildup as a result.

Could potentially be the Tide Pods, too. The dye in the pod might be sitting on the clothes for too long of a period of time. I highly recommend switching to Tide Ultra Stain Release and for whites using a higher wash temperature. It could be the fabric softener, but I would imagine that stains like this would be due to the user not selecting a fabric softener or deep rinse that actually fills the tub with water for the rinse. Otherwise, the fabric softener will be poured over the clothes and not actually be distributed.

Smell the blue spots and see what it smells like. That might help determine the culprit.

How to remove the stains? Try running a sanitize cycle. That should do the trick. Probably not a bad idea to pretreat those spots with Dawn before washing,

"DoreyCrouse: ... the user not selecting a fabric softener or deep rinse that actually fills the tub with water for the rinse. Otherwise, the fabric softener will be poured over the clothes and not actually be distributed."

That's true and I overlooked addressing that point. The OP doesn't make clear if the new Samsung washer is a frontloader to which selecting a Softener Rinse doesn't apply or a toploader to which it may apply.

Thank you for the suggestions!
 I will definitely switch from pods to the Tide Ultra. Do you use anything special for whites or just warm/hot temperature? I'm just a little nervous now using the liquid dispenser, afraid it might be a water pressure problem not getting enough pressure to push the product through? We are on a well and the pressure is horrible.

 I have a front loader and usually just pour the softener directly into the  dispenser and stop halfway. So I'd estimate half a capful?

It does smell like the fabric softener. I will stop using fabric softener for a few days and see if that fixes it and then switch probably to The Laundress for awhile since it is white. Any tips on how to clean the dispenser out? 
Thanks again!

Your wash water should circulate through the dispenser at the proper time....most do. But I would just skip softener for a few loads. Chances are huge that you have a build up of the softener on your clothes as well as in the washer.

Also a front loader uses lots less water than a top loader and the directions for the softener may not take into account how very little water it does use.

Years ago, I worked in the product testing lab of a "famous" appliance company. We supplied the washer and some clothes and linens for volunteers to use in their own homes. After the trial was over we asked for evaluation, and those who were not pleased with the outcome had without exception used too much product. We would then run the items through a cycle using only water softener and no detergent.....and the suds was amazing! we were testing an early front loader.

Wash (or rinse) water from the machine's tub does not circulate through dispensers*. The additives are dispensed via fresh incoming water flushing through the dispensers during fill periods. The water causes the dispenser cup holding liquid detergent or bleach or softener to overflow and disperse the product, then the residual water in the cup (should) siphon out when the water flow stops. Powder detergent doesn't flow so the holding cup in the detergent dispenser is removed when powder is used. The powder sits there until the incoming water flow flushes it out the back of the dispenser cavity.

Detergent pods should never be placed in a dispenser unless the machine has a specially-designed dispenser that can handle pods.

Liquids and powders (such as liquid detergent and a powder oxi product) should never be placed together into a dispenser. They'll form a clump that resists dissolving and won't properly flush out of the dispenser and/or can clog the hose that drains the dispenser housing into the tub.

*Kenmore, Norge/Wards, maybe others, had a detergent dispenser on some topload models that did operate by the machine's pump circulating wash water through the dispenser for a few minutes after agitation began for the wash period but I'm not aware of any washer designs doing that any longer.

I would wipe out as much of the softener from the dispenser as I could reach with my fingers and a paper towel or thin cloth. Then, when I next washed something like towels or blue jeans, I would pour lots of hot water into the dispenser as the machine fills.

I had issues like that with pods when I first got a front loader. I am now using Tide Powder and do not have any more issues. I do not use softener. When we did use softener it would clog up the drain from the machine to where it met the main drain.

Stopped using Tide pods in by front loader a long time ago because they left blue stains on my clothes. Haven't had any blue stains since.

Haven't used softener since 1973. I see no use for it.