In the most recent Maine U.S. Senate race debate, Democrat candidate Troy Jackson told Republican Sen. Susan Collins to “shut up.” Now, in a new advertisement, Collins is blasting Jackson for his words and his refusal to apologize.
Collins’ latest advertisement criticizes Jackson for his quip during the October 15 debate and references reports about his abusive behavior toward women during his time in the state Senate.
“Troy Jackson has something to say to Maine women: ‘Shut up,’” the ad says. “That’s what Jackson said to Susan Collins in the debate.”
The debate incident came after a protester interrupted the debate, and Collins remarked the demonstrator “must be a Troy Jackson reporter,” before Jackson snapped, “Oh, shut up.”
During his tenure in the state legislature, Jackson’s behavior toward women was allegedly borderline abusive, which the ad notes. The Washington Post reported a time in which Jackson allegedly threw a water bottle in the direction of a female colleague and was “at times berating colleagues who disagreed with him.”
“That’s how Troy deals with women,” the ad says. “Female legislators say Jackson was a bully and intimidating.”
The ad cites reports from the Post and CNN saying Jackson was “bullying” women, that he “deeply frightened” the woman who claimed to be the target of Jackson’s alleged water bottle attack, and quoted another female colleague who said Jackson has an “ability to really intimidate.”
“Troy Jackson instinctively telling Susan Collins to ‘shut up’ tells you everything you need to know about his problem with women,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell told Townhall.
Jackson has not been apologetic about his words on the debate stage and is instead “doubling down on his refusal to apologize to Senator Susan Collins.”
When pressed by CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash, Jackson said he doesn’t regret what he said to Collins on the debate stage.
“You told the senator, ‘shut up.’ Do you regret saying that?” Bash asked Jackson.
“Uh, no, I’m not gonna apologize for that, no,” he replied.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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