Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) raised some eyebrows on Monday when she said that it was "too difficult to say" whether President Donald Trump would be the Republican Party's nominee for president in the 2020 elections. Speaking to MSNBC, Collins also admitted that she did not vote for Trump in 2016, but rather wrote-in Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
After criticizing Trump's back-and-forth response to the protests in Charlottesville, Collins said that the president needed to be clearer in criticizing white supremacists and that there were "no good Neo-Nazis."
When the topic of the 2020 elections came up, Collins said that she was still not a supporter of the president, and said that she couldn't definitely say that Trump would be the party's nominee. She said it was far too early to tell, and that there's a "long ways between now and that point."
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After this, Collins discussed the future of an Obamacare repeal, and said that she would still not vote for a bill without a viable replacement that would protect healthcare in rural areas. Collins voted against Obamacare repeal in July, but has repeatedly criticized the current Affordable Care Act.
On the topic of her potential run for the governorship, Collins said that she had still not made up her mind and that she hoped to do what is best for the people of Maine. She said that she has considerably more seniority in the Senate now than when she was first elected, but she did like how a governor is able to be more "hands-on" in terms of things like job creation.
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Granted, Collins is technically correct that we have no idea if Trump will be the nominee in 2020. It is a long ways away, and a whole lot can happen in the next few years--both good for Trump and bad for Trump. However, considering the last incumbent president to face a primary was nearly 30 years ago, I'd say it's likely Trump will be the Republican nominee.
This piece has been updated to clarify Sen. Collins comments.
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