Troy Jackson tells Susan Collins to ‘shut up’ during Maine Senate debate

Democrat Troy Jackson asked incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to “shut up” during a Thursday debate , as tensions boiled over with just more than two weeks until the midterm elections.

The pair was briefly interrupted by an anti-data center protester who began yelling as Collins continued to speak.

“So, this is obviously one of Troy’s supporters,” the Maine Republican responded to the disruption, as the moderator tried to remove the protester.

Jackson interjected, “Oh, shut up. I don’t even know that kid.”

The moment garnered attention online as the Maine GOP wrote on social media that it was “unacceptable behavior coming from Troy Jackson tonight.”

The rest of the forum focused on President Trump, campaign finances, immigration reform and the candidates’ voting record as the Senate race enters its final stretch.

Collins was pressed on her ties to the Trump administration at a time when only 36 percent of Pine Tree State voters approve of the president, according to a recent poll from The Washington Post and Schar School .

The senator pointed to her efforts to block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation, saying she organized Republican opposition to his nomination. But she added that another GOP senator, likely referring to outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), changed his mind at the last minute.

Her opponent later accused her of only breaking with Trump and the GOP when her vote was not needed.

Collins is also the only Republican senator seeking reelection this year in a state that backed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Jackson faced criticism from the audience, meanwhile, when he admitted to receiving $15,000 from the oil and pharmaceutical industry — breaking his campaign promise to reject money from billionaires and corporate political action committees.

“As far as the billionaires that I might have on my campaign, that is accurate,” he said, as the audience reacted loudly.

“I’m going to tax those billionaires when I get to the U.S. Senate. … So, if they want to give me money during this campaign, I guess that’s up to them,” the Democrat added.

Decision Desk HQ, a partner of The Hill, rates the race as “narrowly” in Jackson’s favor, giving the Democrat a 54 percent chance of winning the seat as of Friday morning.