President Trump Endorses RINO Senator Susan Collins But Here’s Why

Sometimes you just have to choose the lesser of two evils, and President Trump’s recent decision reflects that.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced he has endorsed Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine’s upcoming Senate election.

Collins has been labeled by many conservatives as a RINO after she voted to Impeach Trump in 2021 for “inciting an insurrection.”

While taking questions from the press inside the Oval Office, Trump was asked if he would be endorsing Collins, who is running against Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, to which Trump responded that he would be supporting her despite the two having different ideologies.

AP reported more on Trump expressing support for Collins:

This election year is déjà vu for Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican is running for reelection as Democrats pin their hopes on a new candidate to topple her. Last time, it was state lawmaker Sara Gideon. This time, it is combat veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner.

Collins has proved to be a hard target for Democrats, even for candidates without the baggage of Platner, who has faced criticism for his relationships with women, for his inflammatory online posts and for a previous tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol.

Collins is also the rare Republican these days who can sometimes boost her own popularity back home by keeping her distance from President Donald Trump. She has perfected that delicate dance over the years even as Trump has sharply criticized her and tightened his grip on the party, costing two of Collins’ colleagues their chance of reelection.

On Wednesday, however, Trump made clear he is in Collins’ corner.

Although the president told reporters Wednesday that “she’s not my best friend at all,” he also said “she’s a sane person and she’s a person that never missed a vote in many years.” Collins recently set a record by casting her 10,000th Senate vote in a row.

Trump suggested Platner is “worse than any human being that’s run for office probably” and went on to insult the Democratic nominee. “He’s a cheap, no-good person,” the president said, adding, “He’s like a pig.”

With the November general election months away, it is uncertain whether Trump’s support for Collins will help or hurt as she seeks a sixth term. Years of practice have made her adept at staying close — but not too close — to the president when it is politically advantageous, and moving away when showing an independent streak is helpful.

“She’s shown time and time again where her state’s electorate is. She understands what’s too far, she understands where she needs to be,” said Republican political consultant Matt Mackowiak.

Watch Trump make his endorsement here:

NBC News reported on some of the controversies Platner faces that may give Collins an edge in the election:

In previous election cycles, Democrats have nominated center-left figures who were backed by the party establishment and fell short against Collins.

This year, Platner is unlike any other opponent Collins has faced: a populist outsider who has built a connection to supporters with calls to upend the status quo, tax the rich, expand the social safety net and get money out of politics.

But he also brings significant baggage and controversy.

There’s the chest tattoo he recently had covered after he said he didn’t know it had a Nazi association. There are his years-old Reddit posts criticizing police, suggesting some victims of sexual assault bore some responsibility and labeling himself a “communist.” He has chalked it up to “Internet s—posting” from an earlier era that doesn’t reflect his views today.

And there are recent allegations by ex-girlfriends about “toxic” or “unsettling” behavior, after which Platner denied there was “physicality,” as one woman alleged.

“The allegations against Graham Platner are extremely troubling and serious, and he owes the people of Maine a detailed answer,” Collins said in Washington earlier Tuesday.

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The checkered past has prompted unease among Democratic leaders in Washington, some of whom endorsed Platner after Mills dropped out but have recently sought to avoid talking about him. Some figures in the party say he should drop out. Party insiders could replace him, but only if he willingly quits the race before July 13 — and he has insisted he won’t drop out.

Meanwhile, his most prominent backers in the Senate — most notably Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. — are standing by him. Recent general election polls taken before and after his latest controversies show a competitive race with Collins.

Graham Platner just won his primary

Democrats voted for a guy who:

– had a nazi tattoo
– lied repeatedly about his nazi tattoo
– said he would rape people
– sexted with women while married
– bragged about drawing penises in porta potties
– praised islamic terrorists
– said he’s… pic.twitter.com/W8Pg8doEpH

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 10, 2026