In an interview with a Politico reporter, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) addressed reports that her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, fathered two children with his second cousin in a sly manner. When asked if Jackson’s personal life would be fair game on the campaign trail, Collins stated, “Well, I’m not going to bring up the fact that the mother of his two children is his second cousin,” adding, “I don’t know whether people know that or not.” The reporter pointed out that she had just mentioned it, to which Collins did not respond further. This exchange quickly spread across social media, with conservatives praising Collins for her political savvy and some commentators comparing her tactics to those of former President Trump.

The reports about Jackson’s relationship with his second cousin first surfaced in July, when The Maine Wire revealed that Jackson and his longtime partner share the same great-grandparents. Additional aspects of Jackson’s personal life have come under scrutiny, including a 1988 police report alleging that he assaulted a man at a bar and a claim by his partner that he pushed her around, which Jackson denies. When questioned about these reports in August, Collins told Fox News Digital that Jackson “needs to respond” to them and suggested that “vetting is very important,” referencing the previous Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, who withdrew his campaign amid a rape allegation. During her Politico interview, Collins also denied that Jackson would necessarily be an easier opponent than Platner, noting that Jackson has a long political record open to criticism, unlike the politically inexperienced Platner. Source

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