Collins enlists Manchin to woo moderates as she distances herself from Trump

Lewiston, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins is campaigning connected a elemental idea: She tin beryllium crossed the array from anyone. On Wednesday, she did it literally, sharing meal sandwiches with Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin and a roomful of Maine voters arsenic she makes her lawsuit to radical of each governmental stripe.

"She's not a Trump senator. She's not a Republican legislator oregon a Democrat senator," Manchin told reporters aft eating with Collins successful the morning. "She's an American legislator that represents her authorities of Maine."

Collins is the lone Republican legislator up for reelection successful a authorities that President Trump lost. CBS News rates the contention a toss-up. But Collins, who is moving for a sixth term, has a past of surviving pugnacious reelection battles and outrunning different Republicans. In 2020, she won by much than 8 points, adjacent arsenic Mr. Trump mislaid Maine by 9 points.

Both Collins and Manchin — who represented deep-red West Virginia successful the Senate earlier leaving the Democratic Party and retiring successful 2024 — person a past of clashing with their respective parties.

Collins worked to region herself erstwhile pressed connected Mr. Trump connected Wednesday. While touring a section New Balance factory, she was asked astir Trump envoy Steve Witkoff calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian" for releasing a jailed U.S. citizen. The question drew a disposable absorption from Manchin, who shook his head. Collins responded with a level "no."

"I would picture Putin arsenic a warmonger, a thug. He's surely not a humanitarian. He is the aggressor successful the warfare against Ukraine," she said. She besides said she does not enactment Mr. Trump's determination to waive caller sanctions connected Russia and onslaught a diesel woody with Moscow to import Russian diesel, arguing it volition springiness Russia much backing to onslaught Ukraine.

Collins, who has agelong defected from parts of Mr. Trump's agenda, has besides criticized the president's handling of the Iran war. In debates, she has said the president did not person a bully program and that the struggle should end. Her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, doesn't judge she's sincere successful her rebukes.

"She's the seat of appropriations. If she wants to halt the war, she tin chopped the backing disconnected for the war," Jackson said astatine a statement past week. "But she's not consenting to bash that due to the fact that Donald Trump wants this and that's what is going to happen."

Similar skepticism popped up extracurricular of Collins' meal stop. A radical of protesters shouted for the incumbent to discontinue and held signs and cutouts of Brett Kavanaugh's face, a notation to her ballot to corroborate the Supreme Court justice. Collins' supporters, dressed successful agleam red, drowned them retired with chants of "six much years," erstwhile she stepped extracurricular to speech to the property and her circuit autobus blocked the demonstrators from view.

Elaine Makas, a Lewiston Democrat who served successful the authorities legislature from 2002 to 2008, joined the protest. She said she's grateful for Collins' work and calls her "genuinely a bully person," but argued that is not enough. 

"She's conscionable voting wrong," Makas told CBS News. "She's fallen wholly successful enactment with the president."

Collins has argued that she often votes against Mr. Trump's wishes.

Makas echoed Jackson's enactment of attack. "She lone disagrees with him erstwhile her ballot doesn't matter," she said. She said she personally knows Jackson, a erstwhile authorities Senate president,  from their clip successful the legislature and believes he'll "listen" to Mainers.