Collins Watch
@collinswatch.bsky.social
Keeping an eye on Maine's senior senator and Maine politics since 2006. Send tips/thoughts to [email protected]. susancollinswatch.substack.com
A smiling Susan Collins in the oval holding a MAGA hat is an obligatory story in a healthy media environment.
Local media not touching it, though. In the warped Maine news ecosystem, drawing attention to Collins being icky without balancing it against something positive amounts to bias. #MEpolitics
Local media not touching it, though. In the warped Maine news ecosystem, drawing attention to Collins being icky without balancing it against something positive amounts to bias. #MEpolitics
Feels like this photo of Susan Collins standing proudly behind Trump in the Oval Office, red MAGA hat in hand, really deserves to go viral.
February 4, 2026 at 1:52 PM
A smiling Susan Collins in the oval holding a MAGA hat is an obligatory story in a healthy media environment.
Local media not touching it, though. In the warped Maine news ecosystem, drawing attention to Collins being icky without balancing it against something positive amounts to bias. #MEpolitics
Local media not touching it, though. In the warped Maine news ecosystem, drawing attention to Collins being icky without balancing it against something positive amounts to bias. #MEpolitics
Susan Collins was standing alongside Trump for this. (Any video that shows her during this exchange?) #MEpolitics
Trump attacking Kaitlan Collins for asking about justice for Epstein survivors: You are the worst reporter. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. Your organization should be ashamed of you.
February 4, 2026 at 3:27 AM
Susan Collins was standing alongside Trump for this. (Any video that shows her during this exchange?) #MEpolitics
!!! #MEpolitics
Susan Collins is holding a MAGA hat. Tells you everything you need to know. #mesen #mepolitics
February 4, 2026 at 1:18 AM
!!! #MEpolitics
The last time Susan Collins was at the White House (that we know of!) she got caught holding what looked like a Trump swag bag -- from the weirdo MAGA merch emporium off of the oval office. tinyurl.com/425pavjn #MEpolitics
February 4, 2026 at 1:17 AM
The last time Susan Collins was at the White House (that we know of!) she got caught holding what looked like a Trump swag bag -- from the weirdo MAGA merch emporium off of the oval office. tinyurl.com/425pavjn #MEpolitics
Fox News host says the quiet part loud. #MEpolitics
Top Trump ally Brian Kilmeade says on the radio that Trump "wants Susan Collins to win" and they paused the ICE surge there to "help Susan Collins" with her re-election.
They're not even pretending any more.
#mesen #mepolitics
They're not even pretending any more.
#mesen #mepolitics
February 4, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Fox News host says the quiet part loud. #MEpolitics
[eyes with pupils way over to one side emoji] #MEpolitics
Hey Susan Collins — when you're done rubbing elbows with Donald Trump, the people of Maine are ready for you to grow a backbone.
February 3, 2026 at 11:03 PM
[eyes with pupils way over to one side emoji] #MEpolitics
Never ceases to amaze us that Maine's largest city and half the state is represented in Congress by a pol -- one who routinely wins by landslide margins -- who's to the left of every legacy media columnist, on-air commentator etc.
This does not seem to be an accident! #MEpolitics
This does not seem to be an accident! #MEpolitics
This week Congress has a real opportunity to rein in ICE and CBP. I will be a HELL NO on the Homeland Security bill. #ICEOUT
February 3, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Never ceases to amaze us that Maine's largest city and half the state is represented in Congress by a pol -- one who routinely wins by landslide margins -- who's to the left of every legacy media columnist, on-air commentator etc.
This does not seem to be an accident! #MEpolitics
This does not seem to be an accident! #MEpolitics
Here's the ad from a group linked to the Dem-leaning Senate-focused super PAC hitting Susan Collins over complicity in ICE's terror campaign in Maine.
Schumer reportedly wants to refocus attn from ICE to prices/inflation...but folks in his orbit still realize Collins is vulnerable here. #MEpolitics
Schumer reportedly wants to refocus attn from ICE to prices/inflation...but folks in his orbit still realize Collins is vulnerable here. #MEpolitics
February 2, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Here's the ad from a group linked to the Dem-leaning Senate-focused super PAC hitting Susan Collins over complicity in ICE's terror campaign in Maine.
Schumer reportedly wants to refocus attn from ICE to prices/inflation...but folks in his orbit still realize Collins is vulnerable here. #MEpolitics
Schumer reportedly wants to refocus attn from ICE to prices/inflation...but folks in his orbit still realize Collins is vulnerable here. #MEpolitics
No idea where the ME-SEN primary stands and Janet Mills may even be the favorite...but numbers like these have got to be sobering to her team.
All indications are that she will be outspent. She'll probably need to devote more time/energy to fundraising to even stay close. #MEpolitics
All indications are that she will be outspent. She'll probably need to devote more time/energy to fundraising to even stay close. #MEpolitics
In small dollar contributions, we raised more than three times as much as the rest of the field combined.
Our most common donor occupation: teachers.
(Apologies to Susan Collins, whose name doesn't fit on the bar.)
Our most common donor occupation: teachers.
(Apologies to Susan Collins, whose name doesn't fit on the bar.)
February 2, 2026 at 5:48 PM
No idea where the ME-SEN primary stands and Janet Mills may even be the favorite...but numbers like these have got to be sobering to her team.
All indications are that she will be outspent. She'll probably need to devote more time/energy to fundraising to even stay close. #MEpolitics
All indications are that she will be outspent. She'll probably need to devote more time/energy to fundraising to even stay close. #MEpolitics
Credit where it's due:
We called for this last week and now a Schumer-aligned group is reportedly committing $1.6M to ads hitting Susan Collins over her complicity in ICE's terror campaign in Maine. tinyurl.com/2555u4f2 #MEpolitics
We called for this last week and now a Schumer-aligned group is reportedly committing $1.6M to ads hitting Susan Collins over her complicity in ICE's terror campaign in Maine. tinyurl.com/2555u4f2 #MEpolitics
February 2, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Credit where it's due:
We called for this last week and now a Schumer-aligned group is reportedly committing $1.6M to ads hitting Susan Collins over her complicity in ICE's terror campaign in Maine. tinyurl.com/2555u4f2 #MEpolitics
We called for this last week and now a Schumer-aligned group is reportedly committing $1.6M to ads hitting Susan Collins over her complicity in ICE's terror campaign in Maine. tinyurl.com/2555u4f2 #MEpolitics
More and more people are saying it. (Paywalled, alas.) #MEpolitics
February 2, 2026 at 1:21 PM
More and more people are saying it. (Paywalled, alas.) #MEpolitics
Haven't independently confirmed these figures but no reason to doubt them. (Tagaris is a political pro of longstanding).
2 upshots if the data is correct:
--Mills avg donation is more than 2x Platner's.
--Platner's avg'd 183 donations per day from Maine since announcing and Mills 51. #MEpolitics
2 upshots if the data is correct:
--Mills avg donation is more than 2x Platner's.
--Platner's avg'd 183 donations per day from Maine since announcing and Mills 51. #MEpolitics
February 2, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Haven't independently confirmed these figures but no reason to doubt them. (Tagaris is a political pro of longstanding).
2 upshots if the data is correct:
--Mills avg donation is more than 2x Platner's.
--Platner's avg'd 183 donations per day from Maine since announcing and Mills 51. #MEpolitics
2 upshots if the data is correct:
--Mills avg donation is more than 2x Platner's.
--Platner's avg'd 183 donations per day from Maine since announcing and Mills 51. #MEpolitics
Pretty wild (i.e. slanted) way to spin new fundraising numbers for a quarter in which Platner raised $4.7M, Mills raised $2.7M and Susan Collins raised $2.2M.
The only reason Collins "led" is that she's been raising $$ for 2026 for 5 years and her rivals have only been at it 3-5 months. #MEpolitics
The only reason Collins "led" is that she's been raising $$ for 2026 for 5 years and her rivals have only been at it 3-5 months. #MEpolitics
February 1, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Pretty wild (i.e. slanted) way to spin new fundraising numbers for a quarter in which Platner raised $4.7M, Mills raised $2.7M and Susan Collins raised $2.2M.
The only reason Collins "led" is that she's been raising $$ for 2026 for 5 years and her rivals have only been at it 3-5 months. #MEpolitics
The only reason Collins "led" is that she's been raising $$ for 2026 for 5 years and her rivals have only been at it 3-5 months. #MEpolitics
NEW: As measles cases soar (tinyurl.com/5y3ft269) Susan Collins reiterates her support for RFK Jr. as Health Secretary. tinyurl.com/35ppyfy6 #MEpolitics
February 1, 2026 at 3:59 PM
NEW: As measles cases soar (tinyurl.com/5y3ft269) Susan Collins reiterates her support for RFK Jr. as Health Secretary. tinyurl.com/35ppyfy6 #MEpolitics
Janet Mills still won't say if she wants to ditch or keep the current Senate Dem leadership that has repeatedly failed to meet the moment. tinyurl.com/35ppyfy6
May seem like inside baseball. But as we've argued before (tinyurl.com/yj546xpj) it's a threshold issue of high consequence. #MEpolitics
May seem like inside baseball. But as we've argued before (tinyurl.com/yj546xpj) it's a threshold issue of high consequence. #MEpolitics
February 1, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Janet Mills still won't say if she wants to ditch or keep the current Senate Dem leadership that has repeatedly failed to meet the moment. tinyurl.com/35ppyfy6
May seem like inside baseball. But as we've argued before (tinyurl.com/yj546xpj) it's a threshold issue of high consequence. #MEpolitics
May seem like inside baseball. But as we've argued before (tinyurl.com/yj546xpj) it's a threshold issue of high consequence. #MEpolitics
Just spitballing here but maybe telling these guys to wear bodycams and throwing them a few bucks for de-escalation training isn't going to do the trick? #MEpolitics
February 1, 2026 at 3:08 AM
Just spitballing here but maybe telling these guys to wear bodycams and throwing them a few bucks for de-escalation training isn't going to do the trick? #MEpolitics
This is the agency -- the Trump paramilitary -- that Susan Collins continued to praise as recently as yesterday and wants to send more money to without meaningful reforms. #MEpolitics
This is just insane. It’s only a matter of time before DHS kills another innocent person here.
(clip via MPR and @davidjbier.bsky.social on X)
(clip via MPR and @davidjbier.bsky.social on X)
February 1, 2026 at 3:01 AM
This is the agency -- the Trump paramilitary -- that Susan Collins continued to praise as recently as yesterday and wants to send more money to without meaningful reforms. #MEpolitics
Wild.
Susan Collins will have all the $$ she needs cuz of her billionaire-backed super PACs and deep-pocketed affiliate groups.
But Mills...Even with DSCC's backing she's putting up weak numbers.
Will be fine if she wins the nomination...but these numbers suggest that's very much TBD. #MEpolitics
Susan Collins will have all the $$ she needs cuz of her billionaire-backed super PACs and deep-pocketed affiliate groups.
But Mills...Even with DSCC's backing she's putting up weak numbers.
Will be fine if she wins the nomination...but these numbers suggest that's very much TBD. #MEpolitics
January 31, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Wild.
Susan Collins will have all the $$ she needs cuz of her billionaire-backed super PACs and deep-pocketed affiliate groups.
But Mills...Even with DSCC's backing she's putting up weak numbers.
Will be fine if she wins the nomination...but these numbers suggest that's very much TBD. #MEpolitics
Susan Collins will have all the $$ she needs cuz of her billionaire-backed super PACs and deep-pocketed affiliate groups.
But Mills...Even with DSCC's backing she's putting up weak numbers.
Will be fine if she wins the nomination...but these numbers suggest that's very much TBD. #MEpolitics
This is in the county Susan Collins grew up in. At least she's seeing to it that ICE has plenty of money. #MEpolitics
Northern Maine General’s outpatient and case management programs are slated to close by the end of March, affecting 154 clients and 12 staff.
12 Northern Maine General staff to lose their jobs as programs shut down
Northern Maine General’s outpatient and case management programs are slated to close by the end of March, affecting 154 clients and 12 staff.
www.bangordailynews.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:38 PM
This is in the county Susan Collins grew up in. At least she's seeing to it that ICE has plenty of money. #MEpolitics
Susan Collins praised ICE as recently as yesterday! The day before she voted to funnel the paramilitary billions of dollars that could go to schools or hospitals etc.
Not sure how many Mainers know this! Would be a good time for the folks with big megaphones/wallets to spread the word. #MEpolitics
Not sure how many Mainers know this! Would be a good time for the folks with big megaphones/wallets to spread the word. #MEpolitics
Union Carpenter Derek Ellis of Skowhegan was down the street from his job site in Portland when he saw ICE agents shout at a woman to "get the hell out" of her car. As they tore her out of her car, she screamed "I'm a US citizen! I'm a citizen!" as her small child in a carseat cried hysterically.
January 31, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Susan Collins praised ICE as recently as yesterday! The day before she voted to funnel the paramilitary billions of dollars that could go to schools or hospitals etc.
Not sure how many Mainers know this! Would be a good time for the folks with big megaphones/wallets to spread the word. #MEpolitics
Not sure how many Mainers know this! Would be a good time for the folks with big megaphones/wallets to spread the word. #MEpolitics
Rev. Norman Allen, one of nine arrested at Susan Collins's office last week for protesting her complicity in the terror campaign Trump's paramilitary is waging in Maine and elsewhere. tinyurl.com/ysstf92x
The thing is, even if Collins has the power Allen thinks...she's not using it! #MEpolitics
The thing is, even if Collins has the power Allen thinks...she's not using it! #MEpolitics
January 31, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Rev. Norman Allen, one of nine arrested at Susan Collins's office last week for protesting her complicity in the terror campaign Trump's paramilitary is waging in Maine and elsewhere. tinyurl.com/ysstf92x
The thing is, even if Collins has the power Allen thinks...she's not using it! #MEpolitics
The thing is, even if Collins has the power Allen thinks...she's not using it! #MEpolitics
She's spitting out talking points -- crafted to offend as few Mainers as possible -- with all the finesse of an AI bot.
It's a reminder of the pointlessness of focusing on what Susan Collins says: It almost never provides useful context about what she's done or what she's about to do. #MEpolitics
It's a reminder of the pointlessness of focusing on what Susan Collins says: It almost never provides useful context about what she's done or what she's about to do. #MEpolitics
Here Susan Collins admits ICE is targeting the “wrong people,” including people with permission to remain in the US. But she also has “great respect” for them and she thinks the solution is to implement reforms that will do nothing about targeting #mepolitics
www.wabi.tv/2026/01/30/d...
www.wabi.tv/2026/01/30/d...
‘Defunding is not the answer, reform is the answer’: Sen. Collins comments on ICE operations
Collins tells us the Biden Administration failed to protect our borders, leading to millions crossing illegally, including criminals.
www.wabi.tv
January 31, 2026 at 2:40 AM
She's spitting out talking points -- crafted to offend as few Mainers as possible -- with all the finesse of an AI bot.
It's a reminder of the pointlessness of focusing on what Susan Collins says: It almost never provides useful context about what she's done or what she's about to do. #MEpolitics
It's a reminder of the pointlessness of focusing on what Susan Collins says: It almost never provides useful context about what she's done or what she's about to do. #MEpolitics
Lindsey Graham put a hold on a bill and got something in return for lifting it. If only other senators like Susan Collins or Angus King (or the 46 other non-GOP) were capable of such moxie. Pathetic. #MEpolitics
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has been blocking a vote on the revised government funding deal, says he is lifting his blockade in exchange for a vote on his bill to end sanctuary cities.
January 30, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Lindsey Graham put a hold on a bill and got something in return for lifting it. If only other senators like Susan Collins or Angus King (or the 46 other non-GOP) were capable of such moxie. Pathetic. #MEpolitics
Graham Platner not letting up on his town hall strategy -- announces 16 more dates up thru May.
Two very different strategies from two very different ME-SEN primary candidates on the Democratic side. #MEpolitics
Two very different strategies from two very different ME-SEN primary candidates on the Democratic side. #MEpolitics
I don't know how we've reached a time when Mainers cannot count on politicians to show up in their communities and openly and honestly answer questions. Our campaign is doing things differently because I'd actually like to hear from you.
January 30, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Graham Platner not letting up on his town hall strategy -- announces 16 more dates up thru May.
Two very different strategies from two very different ME-SEN primary candidates on the Democratic side. #MEpolitics
Two very different strategies from two very different ME-SEN primary candidates on the Democratic side. #MEpolitics