Susan Collins torn apart for 'confused' reaction to Trump’s ultra-MAGA endorsement

President Donald Trump's decision to endorse Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is sending shockwaves through the Republican Party/

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporter Bill Melugin she doesn't understand why Trump would choose someone like Paxton over Cornyn. "I don't understand it," she said. "He is an ethically challenged individual. John Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserves, in my judgment, the president's support. Obviously, it's the president's call, but I'm disappointed that he did it."

Journalist John Harwood called the comment "concerning."

Missouri state Rep. Nick Kimble was just as shocked at Collins's confusion.

"I legitimately don’t understand the confusion. How out of touch are some of these folks? If you read or talk to anyone since 2016 outside the senate cloak room this makes perfect sense," he wrote on X.

Political operative Corie Whalen explained that "poor character" for Paxton "is a feature, not a bug" in Trump world. She added she wouldn't be shocked if Trump opposed Collins herself. Indeed, many commentators sharing Melugin's post from Collins indicated that Collins was next.

Sean Davis, founder of The Federalist, agreed, "All they had to do to save John Cornyn was pass the SAVE America Act. And they refused. They sowed, and now they will reap."

The comment from Collins comes just a few weeks after another senator, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) revealed that he couldn't understand why a Trump nominee refused to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election.

Caught on a hot mic, Grassley asked his aide, “What would be wrong if they said Biden won?”

Speaking with Democratic operative Spencer Hackett on his podcast on Wednesday, The New Republic's Greg Sargent noted that Cornyn's fatal flaw was his refusal to eliminate the filibuster and his failure to press for the passage of Trump's SAVE Act.

"So clearly this was all about Trump’s own personal wishes for this race. He wanted a sycophant in this race that he could control, that he could manipulate, and that’s what he’s going to get with Paxton," said Hackett.

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