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Jackson doesn't regret telling Collins to 'shut up' after protester interrupted Maine Senate debate
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- Maine Democrat Troy Jackson defended telling Sen. Susan Collins to "shut up" during their recent debate after she accused one of his supporters of disrupting the event, which Jackson denied knowing.
- The protester, identified as Henry Elgie, a 19-year-old Bowdoin College student affiliated with the Sunrise Movement, confirmed he had no coordination with Jackson's campaign.
- Jackson emphasized he would not apologize for his remark, stating he felt Collins was talking down to him, while Collins criticized his response as reflective of his reputed temper, especially toward women.
- Jackson acknowledged past confrontations with female lawmakers but took responsibility and apologized at the time, dismissing Republican attacks on his behavior as politically motivated.
- The incident occurred amid a heated Senate race in Maine, with Jackson seeking to unseat Collins, the longest-serving Republican woman in the Senate.
