Susan Collins will not vote for Trump, plans to write in Nikki Haley for president
Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, has made it clear that she continues to support former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for president, even though Haley is no longer in the running for the Republican nomination.
Collins stated to reporters that she plans to write in Haley’s name on her ballot in November, rather than voting for former President Trump or President Biden. This decision was confirmed by local CBS reporter Dan Lampariello.
A spokesperson for the Maine senator emphasized that she had previously stated her support for Haley over Trump.
“I will not be voting for either candidate. I am going to write in Nikki Haley’s name,” Collins expressed to another local media outlet.
In the past, Collins endorsed Haley late in the Republican primary, lauding her as “extremely well-qualified.”
“She has the energy, intellect, and temperament that we need to lead our country in these very tumultuous times,” Collins remarked about Haley.
Despite Haley dropping out of the primary race shortly after Collins’ endorsement, the senator’s stance remained unchanged.
“I cannot support former President Trump. I voted to convict him on the second impeachment charges, so I don’t think it should come as a surprise that I cannot support him,” Collins declared in March, weeks after Haley had suspended her campaign.
As Collins highlighted earlier in the year, she was among seven Republican senators in 2021 who voted to convict Trump for allegedly inciting insurrection on January 6, 2021, when some of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Despite Trump emerging as the apparent Republican nominee and preparing to face Biden in the upcoming election, it is evident that Collins remains steadfast in her position.
