Vice President JD Vance made a swing through Maine on Thursday with an unusual message for a Republican official visiting a battleground state: praise for a senator whose independent streak has repeatedly put her at odds with Donald Trump.
Speaking at an airport hangar in Bangor, Vance offered public support for Sen. Susan Collins, the only vulnerable Republican incumbent facing re-election in a state that looms large in the Senate's power balance. Collins' seat is among the most competitive in the nation this year.
"Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins," Vance said. "I almost wish that she was more partisan. But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent, because Maine is an independent state."
He went on to frame Collins' willingness to break ranks as an asset rather than a liability. "If she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine," Vance said, before calling for applause in her honor. Collins was not present, having remained in Washington for Senate votes.
The endorsement carries weight given Vance's recent rise as Trump's chief enforcer on federal fraud investigations. His backing of Collins, whom Vance called a friend, signals that the administration views her as salvageable despite her 2021 vote to convict Trump on charges related to the Capitol riot. That decision placed her among only seven Republican senators willing to break with the former president on impeachment.
Collins voted to convict despite her general alignment with Trump's agenda on policy grounds. Election data shows she backs his positions roughly 95 percent of the time, making her far more aligned with the administration than her occasional high-profile dissents might suggest.
The Democratic challenger Collins will face is not yet determined. Gov. Janet Mills withdrew from the primary last month, clearing the path for oyster farmer Graham Platner, who is now the frontrunner for the nomination.
Vance's Maine visit mixed political business with formal administration work. He was greeted by former Gov. Paul LePage, who is running for the GOP nomination in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, a seat currently held by Democrat Jared Golden who is stepping down.
Vance heaped praise on LePage, citing his tenure as governor and pledging to work with him on a federal level. "Paul is a great guy, a guy who loves the state of Maine," Vance said. "We're going to talk a little bit about how he was the biggest advocate for your tax dollars and the biggest threat to fraudsters that ever existed in the state of Maine."
The vice president's stated purpose for the trip centered on the Trump administration's push to root out what it characterizes as rampant fraud in federal programs. Vance asserted that Maine has been particularly vulnerable and said LePage's return to elected office would help combat the problem at the federal level.
In recent days, Vance has escalated pressure on states over fraud allegations. On Wednesday, his office announced that the administration was withholding $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California over concerns about fraud prosecution. Vance has also threatened to suspend federal funding to any state that fails to aggressively pursue fraud cases in its Medicaid program.
Despite his criticism of Gov. Mills, Vance signaled openness to working with her on the fraud issue. "I know you all don't like Janet Mills," he said to the assembled crowd. "I don't especially care for her, either, but I would love to work with the governor of Maine to stop the fraud that's being perpetrated in this state. This should not be a red state or a blue state issue."
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Vance's willingness to embrace Collins despite her impeachment vote suggests the administration is playing the long game in Maine, prioritizing Senate control over settling old scores with dissidents."
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