Trump’s take on Maine’s vulnerable senior senator? “I hope she does well
This afternoon outside the White House, Donald Trump doubled down on his previous endorsement of Senator Susan Collins, telling a group of reporters that he hopes Collins “does well.”
Today’s statement of support follows Trump’s initial Twitter endorsement from last December, when the president said he was “100%” behind Senator Collins’ campaign. It’s easy to see why Trump wants Collins to win — she’s been a critical supporter of his agenda in Congress and he can’t afford to lose her vote if he wants to continue confirming right wing judges and passing tax cuts for corporate special interests.
But despite Trump’s repeated endorsements of her candidacy, Senator Collins has spent the last 648 days refusing to tell Mainers the truth about her support for the president. She’s made a political calculation that she’ll have a better shot at reelection if Mainers don’t know her real position. But Trump’s comments today have only reenforced that even when she takes a hall pass to distance herself from her party, Collins is doing what’s best for Trump, not Maine.
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