Categories: Politics

Susan Colins, key Senate GOP moderate, won’t back Trump in 2024

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, says she will not endorse former President Trump for president, even if he were to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 election. 

Collins, the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is a moderate legislator and one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump on the impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection during his Senate trial in 2021.

When asked by The Hill whether she would support Trump following his win in New Hampshire, Collins said, “I do not at this point.”

Instead, she expressed optimism about former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign and said she was happy that Haley would not drop out after losing to Trump by 11 points in New Hampshire. 

SEN. COLLINS ‘VERY UNLIKELY’ TO BACK TRUMP IN 2024, HITS BIDEN’S ‘CLUMSY’ SUPREME COURT ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine heads to the Senate floor for a vote on Jan. 23, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Collins has said she will not endorse former President Trump for president, even if he wins the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

“I’m glad to hear last night that Nikki Haley is determined to stay in [the race.] I think the more people see of her, particularly since she appears to be the only alternative to Donald Trump right now, the more impressed they will be,” Collins said.

However, the Maine Republican stopped short of endorsing Haley.

Collins has previously said she was “unlikely” to support Trump and that the former president should not have pledged to pardon those convicted for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. 

However, other GOP senators have lined up behind the former president since his convincing primary election wins in Iowa and New Hampshire.

SEN SCOTT SAYS DECISION TO ENDORSE TRUMP OVER HALEY CAME DOWN TO ‘ONE SIMPLE QUESTION’

Several Republican senators have endorsed former President Trump for president after he convincingly won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Deb Fischer, R-Neb., endorsed Trump on Tuesday after he won 54% of the vote in the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation-primary. 

“It’s time for Republicans to unite around President Donald Trump and make Joe Biden a one-term president,” Fischer said in a statement. “These last three years have yielded a crippling border crisis, an inflationary economy that prices the American Dream out of reach for families, and a world in constant turmoil with our enemies on the march. I endorse Donald Trump for president so we can secure our border, get our economy moving again, and keep America safe.”

Cornyn posted his endorsement on X, “To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it’s clear that President Trump is Republican voters’ choice.”

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., joined his colleagues on Wednesday, declaring the primary “over.” 

HALEY PROJECTS OPTIMISM DESPITE WAVE OF TOP SOUTH CAROLINA POLS SIDING WITH TRUMP IN HER HOME STATE

Video

“Competition makes us all better, so I let the primary play out, but this thing’s over,” Kennedy posted on X. “It’s going to be Pres. Trump versus Pres. Biden: A choice between hope and more hurt. It’s not even close. I choose hope. I am endorsing Pres. Trump and look forward to working with him.”

Despite her second loss, following another defeat in Iowa last week, former Gov. Haley has vowed to stay in the race, even with the prospect looming of an embarrassing home-state primary defeat in South Carolina on Feb. 24.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not last in the nation,” Haley declared before leaving Tuesday night. “This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go.”

Fox News Digital’s Jon Brown and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

Share

Recent Posts

Shootout near Israeli Embassy in Jordan leaves 3 police officers injured, gunman dead

close Video Israeli PM Netanyahu pushes back on ICC charges Fox News senior foreign affairs…

1 hour ago

Don’t get caught in the ‘Apple ID suspended’ phishing scam

Scammers keep coming up with new and, honestly, pretty clever ways to trick people. They…

2 hours ago

Fred Harris, former Democratic senator from Oklahoma and presidential candidate, dies at 94

Fred Harris, a self-described populist Democrat from Oklahoma who served eight years in the U.S.…

2 hours ago

Israel confirms death of missing Abu Dhabi rabbi: ‘Abhorrent act of antisemitic terrorism’

close Video Israeli PM Netanyahu pushes back on ICC charges Fox News senior foreign affairs…

4 hours ago

Free email services are costing you more than you think

These days, data breaches and privacy concerns are rampant, so choosing the right email service…

4 hours ago

Feds mum on how Laken Riley’s killer got one-way plane ticket from migrant shelter ground zero

close Video Tom Homan wants all gov officials to listen to Laken Riley tapes: 'Shame…

6 hours ago