Augusta, ME – This week, as Trump ratchets up his trade war with Canada and threatens to exacerbate Maine’s affordability crisis even further, political analysts are pointing out how the tariffs are “not helpful for Susan Collins” and “giving Democrats an upper hand” in Maine as Collins faces the “political fight of her life.”
Watch more here:
Marianna Sotomayor: I mean, this is giving Democrats an upper hand in an argument. Regardless of which race we’re looking at, as we saw there with Troy Jackson being able to say, well, Susan Collins is a Republican. She has been voting with Republicans.
MS NOW: All In With Chris Hayes, 8/24/26
Ruben Gallego: In the Senate, you have Susan Collins, who she talks about these tariffs. She’s the head of appropriations. She could be taking care of this right now. She is part of the problem. And I’m sure she’s very concerned about the tariffs, like she’s concerned about things all the time. But she certainly is not concerned enough about the people of Maine to actually do something and stop. These tariffs are going to hurt, hurt our economy and hurt the people of Maine.
Nick McCool: On the campaign trail and in the political fight of her life this week. Susan Collins dealing with a difficult hand. […]
Nick McCool: President Trump imposing a new 50% tariff on some goods from Canada.
Nick McCool: Canada was Maine’s largest export market last year. 41% of its total goods exports. The trade standoff now threatening to hurt Maine businesses. […]
Nick McCool: Collins has been walking a political tightrope for years with Trump, representing a state he never won outright, and famously admitting she never voted for him. But voting with him well over 90% of the time in the Senate last year and backing one particularly controversial supreme court nominee. […]
Nick McCool: We are now exactly ten weeks out from election day. And in a recent poll by fox news, Democrat Troy Jackson was leading Susan Collins in the Maine Senate race by just two points within the margin of error.
MS NOW: All In With Chris Hayes, 8/24/26
Jacob Soboroff: And the costs of this trade war will also fall disproportionately on some of the biggest swing states in this year’s midterm elections. Big, big Canadian trading partners like Michigan, Ohio, and Maine. I was in Maine yesterday with my family, and without trying, I took these photos. We ran into two separate grassroots protests by critics of the administration. This is a state where longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins is fighting for reelection, and Donald Trump’s trade war could very well cost her the race there. […]
Jacob Soboroff: I’m telling you, I just saw it myself. People are not happy in Maine.
Jonathan Lemire: The trade war with Canada, as Jay just said, it’s going to really have an impact on some of the states that, frankly, border our neighbor to the north. And there are some significant races there. Yes, Michigan first and foremost, but there’s going to be Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine. Not helpful for Susan Collins either. These are going to be issues.
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