Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins won't endorse Trump, eyes Haley campaign

"I think the more people see of her, particularly since she appears to be the only alternative to Donald Trump right now, the more impressed they will be," Collins said of Haley.

By Ben Whedon

Published: January 24, 2024 4:05pm

Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins, a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump, has indicated that she has no plans to endorse him for president in 2024 and suggested former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley could still compete with him for the party nomination.

"I do not at this point," Collins said Wednesday, in response to a question as to whether she could see herself backing Trump should he win the party primary, according to The Hill.

Trump claimed victory in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday evening, defeating Haley, who has emerged as the sole remaining Republican challenger to him of any standing. Collins, for her part, insisted that Haley could present a viable alternative to Trump and would gain ground as she persisted in the primary.

"I think the more people see of her, particularly since she appears to be the only alternative to Donald Trump right now, the more impressed they will be," she said. Haley has vowed to move forward, and insisted Tuesday evening that her performance in that primary signaled growing momentum for her campaign.

"[T]oday, we got close to half of the vote. We still have a ways to go, but we keep moving up," she declared. Haley lost by roughly 11%.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.