Newsweek - A University of New Hampshire (UNH) poll found that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is unpopular among Mainers, only 30 percent of whom support its passage. Fifty-eight percent, on the other hand, say they do not want to see it become law. The bill includes several provisions that would allow Trump and Republicans to significantly overhaul tax and social policies.
Among Maine independents—a crucial voting bloc for Collins—72 percent do not want to see it become law, while 21 percent support the bill.
Trump is also increasingly unpopular in the Pine Tree State, according to the poll. Sixty percent of respondents disapproved of him, while 40 percent approved of his job performance. In April, he was viewed positively by 42 percent of Mainers, according to UNH....
The bill puts Collins in a "difficult political position," Ronald Schmidt, professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine, told Newsweek.
"She has built a base of voters that includes many Independents and some conservative Democrats in the basis of an image of policy independence insofar as the practical needs of Mainers go, and lockstep voting with the president, especially as it regards the needs of seniors, could undermine that image," he said.
On the other hand, there are some conservatives—particularly in the more right-leaning Second Congressional district—who could "hold a grudge" against Collins if she bucked Trump on the bill, he said. They aren't likely to vote for a Democrat in the midterms, but could stay home.