Less than two weeks ago, Senator Susan Collins praised Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, telling the Bangor Daily News that “the president did a lot that was right in the beginning,” despite near daily reporting of the administration’s failure to act and prepare for the virus. Trump’s refusal to listen to public health experts and prepare has left doctors and nurses across Maine without the supplies and protective equipment they desperately need.
But as Trump’s failure becomes increasingly apparent and a new poll shows that only 37 percent of Mainers approve of the job Senator Collins is doing, the vulnerable incumbent is now trying to distance herself from her past comments.
Senator Collins can’t erase her comments from earlier this month, or her close ties to the president and his campaign. Trump endorsed Senator Collins in December and a close investigation of her ballot access petitions revealed that Trump campaign staff collected hundreds of signatures for her re-election. On Tuesday, Collins once again dodged the question of whether she supports his reelection, something she has done for months.
“Senator Collins has praised President Trump’s response to the coronavirus and tried to defend his hostile and rambling briefings,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “Now that Senator Collins is nearly as unpopular as Donald Trump with Mainers, she’s desperately trying to change her record and run away from her steadfast support for him.”
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