Once again, Donald Trump will most likely not receive the backing of the only New England Republican in Congress as he runs for the presidency again.
What Happened: “I will not be voting for either candidate. I am going to write in Nikki Haley's name,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told WMTW TV on Friday.
“Ultimately, I have to do what I think is right … I publicly endorsed Nikki Haley, and I wanted her to win,” she said. “She's still my favorite candidate, and I think she could do a great job. She's my choice, and that's how I'm going to express it.”
Collins also commented on President Joe Biden’s debate performance.
“When I watched the debate, I felt a sense of sadness because I think all of us have had the experience when a loved one or a coworker or a close friend and had seen cognitive decline,” she said, adding,”We know that it doesn’t get better.”
The senator, a moderate conservative, did not back Trump in 2016 and instead supported then-House Speaker Paul Ryan for president, The Guardian reported. During an appearance on Spectrum TV in June, Collins, the longest-serving Republican woman in the Senate, said Trump's style is “divisive at a time when our country is already so polarized.”
Why It’s Important: Collins was one of the seven Republicans, who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. She is not standing for reelection in 2024 after winning the state in 2020, when Biden carried Maine with 53% of the vote.
Not all were impressed with Collin’s choice for the presidency. Substack author and former Chicago Tribune editor Mark Jacob said, “Susan Collins must think she's a moral force in America because she plans to write in Nikki Haley for president. But I'm simply amazed by her spectacular uselessness.”
Trump has gained an edge over Biden following their June 27 presidential debate, and talks of Biden dropping out of the race have been floating around.
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