Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, hit out at former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon Sunday for saying he would target any incumbent Republican senator up for re-election in 2018 if they supported Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“This is not helpful or appropriate at all,” Collins told ABC’s “This Week.” “Obviously, Mr. Bannon has the right to support whomever he wants to support but I think his rhetoric is exactly what the American people are tired of. They don’t want this hyperpartisanship. They want us to work together, they want us to get things done.”
Collins said McConnell, R-Ky., who will meet with President Trump on Monday, enjoyed her full support.
“Mitch McConnell is the Senate Majority Leader,” Collins said. “The president needs him. I’m glad they’re working together on tax reform and other issues. I’m glad they’re meeting this week.”
Collins also said Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker’s recent “Twitter war” with Trump was not “productive,” but added she hoped the president would “be more careful with his words in the future.”
Ahead of an anticipated budget vote this week, Collins said she was “likely a yes” for the proposal in its current form but that she had a couple of “goals.”
“I want to see us help our working families with tax relief and doubling the standard deduction does just that,” she said. “I want to see us help our small businesses and I want to see us pursue policies that will encourage our larger corporations to create jobs in this country, not overseas.”
