Dem
51
GOP
49
When Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was asked if she could see herself endorsing Donald Trump if he wins the Republican nomination, she said: "I do not at this point." That's not "No." It is more like expressing her concern, something she often does. She is concerned about many things. She supports Nikki Haley and is hopeful that Haley can win in South Carolina.
Collins is a moderate Republican and is not especially Trumpy. She was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after his impeachment for attempting a coup on Jan. 6, 2021. She was also one of the three Republican senators who killed Trump's plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Trump hasn't attacked her yet, but there is still plenty of time. He ought to be careful, though, because she is one of the most powerful Republicans in the Senate. She is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the committee that, along with its House counterpart, decides how the government will spend some $6 trillion each year. If Republicans capture the Senate, she will become chair of the Committee. If Trump is elected president and Collins chairs Appropriations, she could stymie some of his pet projects. For example, she might be willing to build a wall on the border, but on the Canadian border, as her home town of Caribou, ME, is only 6 miles from the Canadian border. In other words, when the invasion commences, it will be the first to fall. Collins played a key role in crafting the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. She is a major player and Trump offends her at his own peril. (V)