Susan Collins carries herself like she could have run an etiquette school if she hadn't spent her life in politics.
uncertain
she → carry → politics
The Republican senator has a genteel air of grandmotherly decorum.
asserted
senator → have → decorum
It distinguishes her from many of her MAGA colleagues.
asserted
It → distinguish → colleagues
And it made for a more striking moment when her Democratic opponent turned to her and said, "Shut up," during a debate this week.
asserted
opponent → make → debate
He was annoyed that Collins had accused him of planting a protester in the crowd.
asserted
Collins → annoy → crowd
"This is obviously one of Troy's supporters," Collins said as the audience member started screaming about data centres.
asserted
member → say → centres
"Oh, shut up," Jackson replied.
asserted
Jackson → shut → ?
"I did not.
asserted
I → do → ?
I don't even know that kid."
asserted
I → know → kid
The protester had actually posed as a journalist.
asserted
protester → pose → journalist
Wearing an oversized laminated "press" lanyard, he convinced a worker he should have been on her media list and was escorted inside with me and another reporter.
asserted
he → wear → me
It represented one of the big dangers to Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
asserted
It → represent → elections
Polls show Democrats and Republicans both generally hate data centres and their explosive growth across the country.
asserted
Democrats → show → country
But Trump has shrugged off their concerns.
asserted
Trump → shrug → concerns
He says people who oppose them "want to end up being backwards and poor".
asserted
who → say → them
He labels the backlash "a sick conspiracy".
asserted
He → label → backlash
It's on a growing list of issues motivating voters to punish Trump at the midterms, where he keeps telling voters to pretend he is on the ballot.
asserted
he → grow → ballot
It's one of a handful of toss-up contests that could cost Republicans their majority.
uncertain
that → toss → majority
The debate, in the regional centre of Bangor, was only interrupted once.
asserted
debate → interrupt → Bangor
But it had several similar reminders of times Trump has dismissed voters' concerns as either conspiracy or stupidity.
asserted
Trump → have → conspiracy
This attitude towards voters' concerns has been forcing Republicans onto the defensive when faced with angry constituents on the campaign trail.
asserted
attitude → force → trail
Collins and Jackson sparred over who to blame for rising prices.
asserted
Collins → spar → prices
But Trump has repeatedly described the issue as a "hoax" concocted by Democrats.
asserted
Trump → describe → Democrats
All the surveys show it's a burning concern for voters and a big reason his approval rating keeps sinking further underwater.
asserted
rating → show → voters
In one recent poll, 65 per cent of Americans blamed high prices on Trump policies rather than on factors out of his control.
asserted
cent → blame → control
That's much higher than the proportion of Americans who blamed Joe Biden for high prices (44pc) before the 2022 midterms, when Republicans seized control of the House from Democrats.
asserted
Republicans → blame → Democrats
Immigration and deportations are another issue that was once seen as a Republican strong suit but is now backfiring.
asserted
that → see → suit
In January, ICE launched an immigration crackdown in Maine called "Operation Catch of the Day", a pun for the fishing state.
asserted
ICE → launch → state
Many Mainers didn't appreciate the joke, or the operation itself.
asserted
Mainers → appreciate → joke
After public pushback, the operation was abruptly terminated, and Collins took credit.
asserted
Collins → terminate → credit
But ICE operations later ramped up again in Maine.
asserted
operations → ramp → Maine
Three months ago, a 25-year-old Colombian father who had a US work permit was shot dead by an ICE agent during a traffic stop.
asserted
who → have → stop
"One of those bullets went into that car seat that was in the back seat of his car," Jackson told the debate.
asserted
Jackson → go → debate
Collins said she had made progress pushing for safeguards like body cameras for ICE agents.
asserted
she → say → agents
But she agreed more reforms were needed to improve how they operate.
asserted
they → agree → ?
Polls now show most Americans were not in favour of the crackdown.
asserted
Americans → show → crackdown
A Fox News poll last month found 53 per cent thought it had gone too far.
asserted
it → find → ?
Collins told the debate that Trump "definitely" should have consulted Congress before attacking Iran, and he should have had a plan for the Strait of Hormuz.
asserted
he → tell → Hormuz
Once the war started, she said, the War Powers Act gave Trump broad authority for 60 days.
asserted
Act → start → days
"After 60 days, that's when I voted every single time with Democrats to bring the conflict to a halt."
asserted
I → vote → halt
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
