President Donald Trump on Thursday blasted Sen. Susan Collins and four other Republicans who joined Democrats to reaffirm the need for congressional approval for further military action in Venezuela.
The Senate advanced the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote, ensuring a vote next week on final passage of the resolution and handing Trump a rare rebuke from his own party in his second term.
Trump, who will likely veto the resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, condemned the defectors for their “stupidity,” saying they “should never be elected to office again.”
“Republicans should be ashamed of the senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump said in a social media post.
In response to Trump, Collins spokesperson Blake Kernen explained Collins’ rationale for voting for the resolution.
“It’s clear the president is frustrated about today’s vote. While Senator Collins supported the operation to seize Nicolás Maduro, she has a serious disagreement with the administration over the possibility of committing additional U.S. forces or entering into any long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific congressional authorization,” Kernen wrote in a statement.
The other Senate Republicans called out by Trump for supporting the resolution were Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; Rand Paul of Kentucky; Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana.
The criticism comes as Collins is locked in a tough reelection battle. She’s the only Republican senator running in a state won by Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and the only New England Republican left in Congress.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America.”
President Donald Trump
Harris won statewide and in the more liberal 1st Congressional District, while Trump won in the more rural, conservative 2nd Congressional District. Maine is one of two states that splits electoral votes, so Harris received three votes and Trump got one.
The leading Democrats vying to take on Collins are two-term incumbent Gov. Janet Mills and Graham Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer whose campaign has been backed by national progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.
Both Platner and Mills have slammed Collins for voting against a bill last year that would have limited Trump’s ability to take military action in Venezuela.
Mills has also criticized Collins’ personal oil investments and called on her to use her power as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee to hold hearings to get answers from the administration. Mills also wants Collins to add language to budget bills preventing tax dollars from being used in Venezuela.
Collins dismissed Mills’ suggestions, saying senators are focused on advancing budget bills to avoid another government shutdown at the end of the month.
The criticism from both sides highlights the delicate balance Collins is trying strike while seeking her sixth term in office.
Collins has a complicated relationship with Trump, who has maintained a tight grip on the Republican party. She hasn’t supported any of his campaigns for president and voted to impeach him after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. She has at times enabled his agenda, while also leaving enough room to criticize his actions.
Over the summer, Collins provided a key vote to advance Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a measure that cut taxes — largely for the wealthy — and also cut nearly a trillion dollars from Medicaid.
Collins ultimately voted against the package, even though she helped secure $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals to help make up for the Medicaid cuts. Her vote resulted in a 50-50 tie that was broken by Vice President JD Vance.
Trump let Collins slide that time. But that detente ended in August when Collins opposed the administration’s proposal to claw back spending previously approved by Congress.
“Republicans, when in doubt, vote the exact opposite of Senator Susan Collins,” Trump said in a social media post. “Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump also criticized Collins in 2022 for reportedly working with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, to recruit “anti-Trump candidates.” Trump called Collins “absolutely atrocious” and said he could have ousted her from her Senate seat.
A month later, Trump called Collins “wacky” for leading efforts to make it harder for members of Congress to challenge election results. Collins wanted to make it clear that the vice president only has a ceremonial role in counting electoral votes. The changes were made after Trump pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election results.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Thursday to reflect that the War Powers Act resolution still needs final approval in the Senate next week.
