The facts
During a Tuesday debate in Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins sought to differentiate herself from former President Donald Trump, stating she is not his "favorite senator." Collins, who has represented Maine since 1996, pointed to her voting record, noting she voted with President Joe Biden more than 90% of the time when he was in office and that she voted against her own party more than any other senator. Her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, a former state legislator, challenged Collins's alignment with Trump, claiming she voted with him 96% of the time. Jackson also criticized Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, linking it to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Collins, 73, countered by emphasizing her opposition to tariffs on Canada, calling it a neighbor and friend, and her votes against a war with Iran. She expressed skepticism about a potential Trump campaign visit to Maine. The debate occurred in a state that has voted for Democratic presidential candidates since 1992 and has not supported Trump in his three presidential campaigns. Polls indicate a close race between Collins and Jackson.
Our take
Susan Collins, the senatorial equivalent of a sad-eyed basset hound who just shit on the carpet, spent an entire debate trying to convince Maine voters she’s not Donald Trump’s favorite cuddle buddy. The sheer, staggering gall of this performance deserves a fucking Emmy. This is a woman who, by her own admission, voted with the guy 96% of the time, but now that he’s a political leper, she’s frantically scrubbing his orange tint from her voting card.
Her pathetic defense? That she’s voted with Biden a lot. No shit, Susan. You’re a senator from a blue state who needs to pretend she’s not a complete fucking ghoul to survive. Pointing to your own party-defying record as a badge of honor is like a serial arsonist bragging about how many fire hydrants they’ve installed. It’s not principle, you absolute fraud; it’s a calculated, decades-long survival strategy to avoid being voted into the sea.
Then there’s the Kavanaugh vote. She wants to talk about tariffs on Canada, our ‘neighbor and friend,’ while the rotting corpse of her judicial legacy - the vote that helped incinerate Roe v. Wade - is sitting right there on the stage next to her. She’s worried about trade with Canada? How about the trade she made: one Supreme Court seat for a generation of women’s bodily autonomy. What a fucking bargain.
The entire spectacle is a masterclass in cowardly, self-serving bullshit. She’s ‘skeptical’ about a Trump visit? Of course she is. The last thing this political chameleon needs is the orange spotlight reminding everyone of the votes she took when she thought it was safe. She’s not distancing herself from Trump; she’s trying to distance herself from her own goddamn shadow. It’s the saddest, most transparent hustle in politics, and Maine should finally tell this triangulating prick to get lost.
