Democrat Calls Susan Collins an “Arsonist” Over Trump Stance

Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson branded his veteran Republican opponent, Susan Collins, an “arsonist” during a debate in which the longtime senator sought to distance herself from President Donald Trump.

“Senator Collins is like the arsonist who helped set the fire, and she wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put it out,” Jackson said during the candidates’ first in-person clash of the campaign.

Collins, 73, is campaigning for a sixth Senate term in a state that backed Kamala Harris in 2024, Joe Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016—making the race particularly challenging for a Republican with a conservative record.

Asked whether she would welcome a visit from Trump to Maine in the final weeks before the midterm election, Collins avoided offering a direct answer and predicted that the president would not come.

“I don’t think that President Trump is going to come to Maine,” she said. “He’s talking about going to a lot of different states. I’ve heard nothing from his office, and I’m not exactly his favorite senator.”

Trump appeared to suggest otherwise on Monday, saying, “I think we’re going to Maine too,” when asked about his upcoming campaign plans.

Jackson cited an analysis indicating that Collins voted with Trump 95 percent of the time. Collins countered with a different study, saying it showed her supporting Trump 72 percent of the time while backing Biden 92 percent of the time.

“This study found that I voted against my party more than any other senator on either side of the aisle,” Collins said, highlighting her reputation for independence from the Trump administration.

Jackson also faulted Collins for supporting Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, arguing that her votes helped create the court majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. Collins responded that she is the only Republican senator to have voted for three justices nominated by Democratic presidents.

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The encounter marked the first of four scheduled debates between Collins and Jackson over the next two weeks.

With early voting opening on October 5, Maine voters have already begun choosing between the two candidates in a closely watched contest that could help determine whether Trump and Republicans retain control in Washington.

Maine is among several competitive Senate battlegrounds for Republicans, alongside Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas.

Republicans have effectively conceded North Carolina’s Senate race, where the party has halted its campaign spending.

Democrats must gain four seats to take control of the Senate, and party strategists widely view Maine as a crucial part of that path.

Voters say their leading concerns include inflation and the rising cost of living, with the war in Iran contributing to further price pressures.

Although Trump remains unpopular in a state carried by Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Collins has spent years creating distance between herself and the MAGA movement and has occasionally criticized the president and his senior allies.

The latest polling points to an extremely tight contest, with most results falling within the surveys’ margins of error. Jackson holds a narrow advantage in many of the polls.

Both candidates have had scandals erupt during the contentious campaign that already saw former Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner spectacularly drop out after a slew of sexual misconduct allegations. 

Filling in as the Democratic candidate, Jackson, self-styled as a ‘fifth-generation logger,’ has stirred headlines after it was revealed his longtime partner and mother of his two sons is also his second cousin by blood, according to The Maine Wire.

Collins, meanwhile, helped a little-known defense contractor in Hawaii win millions in contracts while the company bankrolled her re-election campaigns, according to a ProPublica investigation. It’s a charge she’s vehemently denied.