Senator Susan Collins has once again shown her true colors, announcing Tuesday that she will vote against President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Todd Blanche. The Maine Republican’s defection threatens to derail Blanche’s confirmation just as Republican leaders were preparing for a full floor vote.
Collins, never one to miss an opportunity to undermine conservative priorities, cited concerns about the Department of Justice becoming “increasingly political” as her justification for opposing Blanche. The irony is rich coming from a senator who has consistently sided with Democrats on key votes while claiming to represent Republican values. Her statement that Blanche has “taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence” reads more like a DNC press release than the reasoning of a supposed Republican.
The senator’s specific grievances reveal her true motivations. She objects to Blanche approving a shield from IRS audits for Trump and his family, apparently believing the president’s family should be subjected to politically motivated harassment. She takes issue with the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund designed to protect Americans from government overreach. And she opposes his promises to anti-abortion organizations to halt mailed abortion medication, proving once again that Collins talks a pro-life game during election years while working against the movement when it counts.
Perhaps most revealing is her criticism of Blanche’s attempted indictments of Democratic Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin for encouraging resistance to immigration enforcement. Collins apparently believes elected officials who encourage lawbreaking should face no consequences, a curious position for someone who claims to support the rule of law.
With Republicans holding a razor-thin Senate majority, every vote matters. Collins’ opposition means Blanche can afford no more defections if he hopes to lead the Department of Justice. The question now is whether other RINOs will follow Collins’ lead and side with Democrats to block a qualified conservative nominee.
When will Republican voters in Maine wake up to the fact that Collins represents everything wrong with the establishment GOP? She survives primary challenges by pretending to be a moderate, then consistently delivers victories for the left when the stakes are highest. This is not principled independence, it’s political sabotage dressed up as conscience.
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