Maine Sen. Susan Collins faced retirement calls after Democrat Troy Jackson challenged her over Iran war funding. During a Senate debate, Jackson accused the Republican of refusing to stand up to President Donald Trump. Their exchange drew criticism on X, where some users urged Collins to leave office.
During the debate, Collins described Iran as a threat to the United States. She called for an agreement stopping uranium enrichment for nuclear weapons and the pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles. The moderator then invited Jackson to respond.
Jackson argued that “we did have an agreement before Donald Trump tore it up.” He then addressed Collins’s claim that she had voted against the war nine times but lacked enough votes. He argued Democrats should control the Senate to stop the conflict and hold Trump in check.
Beyond the votes, Jackson challenged Collins over Congress’s authority to fund the war. He argued she could stop the funding through appropriations but refused to act.
“But she’s not willing to because she will not stand up against Donald Trump,” he said.
Susan Collins Faces Retirement Calls After Troy Jackson Debate
The exchange drew calls for Collins to leave office, with some users questioning her political record and continued tenure.
“Lady, please retire already. Why does she keep getting voted in?” one user wrote. Another urged Maine voters to remove her, saying, “Send her out to pasture Maine, please!”
Others questioned her lengthy Senate career and political motivations. “It’s crazy that Maine has entrusted her for 30 years and she has the audacity to seek 6 more,” one response stated. Another argued, “Susan Collins is the worst hypocrite. Just completely out for her own self preservation.”
However, some challenged Jackson’s defense of the previous Iran nuclear agreement. “The JCPOA didn’t stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Pretending it was working doesn’t help,” one user wrote. Another pointed to other limitations, stating, “Also, it didn’t address long-range weapons or financing terror.”
The exchange left unanswered whether Collins would support any move to restrict funding for the war.
