Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and Susan Collins’s campaign released a new ad for the Maine senator that calls her progressive opponent, Troy Jackson, a bully after he told her to “shut up” during a recent debate. Mr. Jackson has said he will not apologize for the remark.
Here’s a look at the ad.
On the Screen
The ad shows Mr. Jackson rolling his eyes and adjusting his posture during a prior debate with Ms. Collins. Then the words “SHUT UP” roll across the screen as Mr. Jackson’s remark is heard. The ad transitions to images from the Maine State House, where Mr. Jackson served for two decades, and cites news reports about his treatment of female Senate colleagues there.
The narrator calls Mr. Jackson a bully as the ad shows a clip of him celebrating hand in hand at a rally with Graham Platner, the original Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine this year, whose campaign imploded in scandal after a woman accused him of rape.
A final shot shows Ms. Collins, clad in bright red, smiling as she strides through a sunny passageway.
The Script
Ms. Collins
I’m Susan Collins, and I’ve approved this message.
Narrator
Troy Jackson has something to say to Maine women: “Shut up.” That’s what Jackson said to Susan Collins in the debate.
Audio of Mr. Jackson
Oh, shut up.
Narrator
That’s how Troy deals with women. CNN and The Washington Post report that female legislators say Jackson was a bully, frightening and intimidating. Jackson even angrily threw a water bottle at one female legislator. Troy Jackson is a bully, but Susan is always working for Maine.
Accuracy
The ad highlights an exchange from the final Maine Senate debate last week, when a heckler yelled that “A.I. data centers are destroying our climate” and “poisoning our water.” Ms. Collins quipped that the heckler was “obviously” one of Mr. Jackson’s supporters, and he replied, “Oh, shut up. I don’t even know that kid.”
The ad seems to isolate the audio of Mr. Jackson’s comment, which he made as the heckler continued the outburst. Mr. Jackson has said he is “not going to apologize” for the remark, emphasizing that he made it because he felt Ms. Collins had “talked down to” him.
The ad cites reports by CNN and The Washington Post about Mr. Jackson’s temper, providing evidence that some female legislators saw him as “frightening and intimidating,” including when he threw a water bottle during an argument. Other women who served with him have openly disputed those characterizations.
Mr. Jackson has said that he regrets these episodes but will not apologize for “being passionate” in fighting for the issues that he cares about. This “should not be confused with physical intimidation or bullying,” his campaign has said, and it disputed that any outbursts specifically targeted women, noting that many of Mr. Jackson’s colleagues in State Senate leadership were women.
The clip of Mr. Jackson with Mr. Platner predates the accusation of rape against Mr. Platner, who denies them. After the allegations came to light, Mr. Jackson quickly rescinded his endorsement of Mr. Platner, called for him to drop out and sought to replace him.
The Takeaway
In news media appearances, Ms. Collins has characterized the debate comment as part of a pattern of concerning behavior by Mr. Jackson. “I was struck by how reflexive the response, ‘Oh, shut up,’ was,” she told Fox News, continuing, “The fact that it seemed like such an automatic, quick reply was very telling.”
Mr. Jackson has sought to flip the script by challenging Ms. Collins’s record, especially her decision to cast a key vote to confirm Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was among the Supreme Court justices who overturned the abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade.
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