Fox News contributor Guy Benson responded on Twitter Wednesday to a new ad from The Lincoln Project, a group of onetime Republican political consultants, that painted Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, as a "treacherous" supporter of President Trump.
"[T]he notion that *Susan freaking Collins* is a treacherous Trump Bot who never bucks the party & is controlled by men is ludicrously insulting," tweeted Benson, the host of Fox News Radio's "The Guy Benson Show". "As a conservative, I’ve been frustrated by her votes many times over the years..."
Benson did not call out the Lincoln Project by name, instead referring to them as "the [clown] crew."
Titled "Trump Stooge," the ad hits Collins as a "fraud" and says her "voice" is controlled by Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
"Susan Collins never stands up to Donald Trump," the narrator says in the ad. "That's why Maine is done with her weakness and excuses."
NEVER TRUMPERS CROSS LINE WITH PARTY OPERATIVES BY TARGETING GOP SENATORS
Polls indicate that Collins faces a close race against Democrat Sara Gideon in the November election. Collins, who is seeking a fifth Senate term, is only Republican from New England in the current Congress.
Collins received national attention in the fall of 2018 when she voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court amid national controversy over allegations of sexual misconduct against the nominee. Earlier this year, she voted to acquit Trump in the Senate impeachment trial, but described the president's behavior in dealing with Ukraine as "wrong" and frustrated some members of her own party by joining Democrats in their push to hear from former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
"On [sic] the two biggest knocks against her voting record (Kavanaugh confirmation & impeachment acquittal), she offered detailed, thoughtful explanations — and voted the same way she did when Dem presidents were in office," Benson said in a subsequent tweet "'Conservatives' trying to oust her have zero credibility. None."
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The Maine ad is part of a $4 million ad buy targeting Collins, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Steve Daines of Montana.
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