After Winning Debate, Jackson Joins MS NOW, Takes Questions From Mainers At Local Portland Bar

While Susan Collins refused a town hall style debate, Jackson ended the night directly answering Mainers questions

PORTLAND, ME — Fifth-generation logger, former Maine Senate President, and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Troy Jackson joined MS NOW for a live interview with Jen Psaki at a local Portland bar following his successful performance on the debate stage. Jen and Troy discussed the highlights of the debate and took questions from the live audience on the issues that matter most to them, including reproductive rights and Maine’s economy.

Jackson had pushed for town hall-style debates, but Collins refused – continuing her 25-year streak of avoiding direct questions from Maine voters.

In the discussion, Troy and Jen highlighted the defining moments of the debate, including Susan Collins refusing to admit she made a mistake by voting to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on the anniversary of that very vote.

Watch the full interview here, or see highlights below:

On Troy’s message to Mainers:

I'm determined to get to the U.S. Senate, so I can fight [...] for a government that you know I believe we can be proud of. You know, something that people know that they can have health care, they can have prescription drugs, child care, elder care. I mean, right now, I mean, I think people are broken by the belief that you know the real belief that this government does not work for them, and fundamentally, it's wrong, and it and it is. I mean, it's a government that works for the wealthiest people in this country, and you know people feel like they've been left behind, and they are. That's a big deal for me, to make sure that everyday people have somebody in their corner. That's who I am, and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be in their corner every day of the week.”

On Susan Collins endangering reproductive rights and Troy’s fight to protect them:

“I don't know that Susan Collins ever really cared to be for a woman's right to choose. We had Roe v. Wade, so it was easy, convenient for her to be able to say that. But she's put 60 anti-abortion judges onto the bench. She definitely was the deciding vote for Kavanaugh.”
You've seen Susan Collins tonight — she won't say that she's wrong. She was wrong. I mean, 22 states have lost reproductive rights, and in Maine, if we hadn't had a strong legislature and a strong governor, we'd have been in trouble here too.”
“I've been fighting for [reproductive rights] for more than a decade now. I'm very proud that we have some of the most progressive reproductive rights bills in the country. We made sure that low-income women had access under Mainecare, and I will. I can promise you that I'm not going to turn my back on that, and I'm not going to put another Supreme Court justice on like Brett Kavanaugh. I'll make damn sure that that's a question that I'll ask that Senator Collins seems to have given up on.”

On the pay-for-play scandal Collins was at the center of:

“The FBI was circling around.They've got receipts, they've got checks that went to her PAC, and they were investigated. And whenever Donald Trump came back in. He got rid of the investigation, and that, to me, is why he owns her now. She did his bidding, or she's doing his bidding because he helped her get out.”

On Trump coming to Maine:

“[Trump] wants his rubber stamp Susan Collins to win this election so she'll keep doing tax cuts, keep doing everything that the billionaire class wants, voting with him 96% of the time. I'm sure he wants to try and come and save the election for her, but I think people in Maine know that they've gone too far, and it's time for a big change so that we can get government back in a way that we're proud of.”

On Collins enabling medicaid cuts:

“With the big bogus bill, we're losing $3 billion in health care. We're losing SNAP benefits. We're losing heating assistance. We're losing so much. And she wants to crow about the fact that she advanced the bill so she could get $190 million rural health care fund. Well, that's a pittance to what we're losing.”
“She wants to do whatever Donald Trump wants. [...] We're watching our healthcare system here in Maine crash so that Elon Musk could have more money. And I can't understand how anyone in their right mind can actually defend that vote.”
[She’s] trading our health care for Elon Musk getting tax cuts, and for me, it's pretty clear what what went on, and and it really it pisses me off.”

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