It’s time for Poliquin, Collins to say if they support Trump

Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump - REUTERS/Nancy Wiechec

Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump – REUTERS/Nancy Wiechec

Now that Donald Trump is officially the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, it becomes nearly impossible for Maine Senator Susan Collins and Representative Bruce Poliquin to avoid the question of whether they’ll support the racist reality show star for president. Gov. LePage, Maine’s other major Republican officeholder, has already declared his full-throated support.

Collins has implied that she will support Trump, but she hasn’t quite said it yet.

Poliquin is in a much more difficult position, having to run a race for a vulnerable seat with Trump at the top of the ticket. He has dodged the question so far, refusing to even say which candidate he caucused for and leading to at least one awkward wait for an elevator with a reporter. I doubt he’ll be able to maintain that silence for long.

In the last few hours, several high-profile Republicans have refused to endorse Trump, including some who are backing Hillary Clinton instead. Poliquin and Collins’ colleague, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, reiterated his pledge to support a third-party candidate.

It’s time for Maine’s top Republicans to make it clear where they stand.

Mike Tipping

About Mike Tipping

Mike is Maine's longest-writing political blogger and explores state politics and policy with a focus on analysis and explanation. He works at the Maine People's Alliance and Maine People's Resource Center.