Words like “serious” and “troubling” have been uttered repeatedly by Maine’s Congressional Delegation over the first four months of the Trump presidency. But a new report alleging that the president asked former FBI Director James Comey to end an investigation of former national security advisor Michael Flynn seems to have prompted a noticeable shift in the rhetoric.
The White House chaos has forced Maine’s two deliberative senators to become more reactive.
By Monday, members of Congress, and Republicans in particular, were drowning in a cascade of White House controversies. When news broke that the president had divulged highly classified details of anti-terrorism methods to top Russian diplomats, Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine reportedly said to a gaggle of reporters, “Can we have a crisis-free day? That’s all I’m asking.”
Her answer came the very next day.
A memo by ousted Comey that detailed Trump’s suggestion that Comey end the FBI’s investigation into Flynn was first reported by the New York Times. If true, it could be the clearest evidence that Trump has tried to impede a Justice Department and FBI investigation into links between his associates and Russia.
And on CNN Tuesday, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine said that could have significant consequences for the president.
“If these allegations, senator, are true, are we getting closer and closer to the possibility of yet another impeachment process?” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked King.
“Reluctantly, Wolf, I have to say yes simply because obstruction of justice is such a serious offense. And I say it with sadness and reluctance. This is not something that I’ve advocated for,” he said.
King’s impeachment comment came in the immediate aftermath of the Times story, and it quickly ricocheted across national news outlets and social media. But King later chose to temper his remarks, saying more information would be needed, including the actual Comey memo.
Collins, who sits with King on the Senate Intelligence Committee, also wants the memo. In an interview on NPR’s Morning Edition Wednesday, she said Comey should testify before the Committee about his meeting with the president.
“Right now the stories are getting ahead of the facts. It’s important that we get all of the documents, including the memo, and the other memos that director Comey wrote,” she said.
Last week, Collins appeared to accept the White House’s rationale for firing Comey — that he had eroded public trust in the FBI because of how he handled a probe into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. Trump personally torpedoed that rationale when he later told NBC News’ Lester Holt that Comey’s work in the Russia investigation did, in fact, play a role in the president’s decision to fire him.
Collins still stuck to her position citing Comey’s botched email probe, but when NPR’S Rachel Martin pressed Collins on the issue Wednesday morning, she sounded less certain.
“And you still believe that was the justification for his firing?” Martin said.
“I don’t know. That’s what we need to find out,” Collins said.
Collins also appeared to move closer to embracing the need for a special prosecutor to oversee the Justice Department investigation, a step that she has not previously committed to. But she says the last 48 hours have changed her thinking.
“I believe that there are sufficient allegations out there, regrettably many of them from anonymous sources, that the Justice Department should take a look at this,” she said.
The recalibration of public statements by Maine’s two senators may come in response to their constituencies.
King caucuses with Senate Democrats, but he has historically drawn support from independent and Republican voters in Maine. While he has made no effort to conceal his disagreements with Trump’s policies or personality, he has had to pick his spots criticizing the president or risk eroding support from Republicans.
Similarly, Collins also draws support from across the political spectrum and has been under pressure from the left to more aggressively oppose Trump.
Speaking on Maine Calling Tuesday, American University professor Gordon Adams described the landscape Collins is navigating.
“She is somebody who is very careful, she somebody who is also very calculating. She is a Republican. She comes from Maine. That’s a particular bridge that somebody has to walk and other people have walked it before, so she has to be very careful. But sometimes she appears to be too careful by half to some of her constituents here in Maine,” he said.
It’s been a little easier for unabashed partisans. Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District has blasted Trump at every turn and on Tuesday suggested the president may be involved in a cover-up.
Meanwhile, signs of Republican weariness of Trump surfaced in a written statement from U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine’s 2nd District, who has drawn fire for ducking any issue that’s remotely controversial. But on Tuesday, Poliquin’s office released a statement saying the recent allegations against the president, if true, raise “grave concerns.”
This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 4:17 p.m. It has been updated to clarify Sen. Collins' previous position on a special prosecutor.
