Troy Jackson says he does not regret telling Susan Collins to shut up

Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson said he did not regret telling Republican Senator Susan Collins to shut up during their final debate, after she suggested a protester was one of his supporters. Jackson made the comments in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that aired Sunday, according to Associated Press reports carried by several outlets. He said Collins had accused him of arranging the interruption and that he had no idea who the protester was. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

During the debate on Thursday night, a protester opposing data centers began yelling while Collins was speaking. As moderators asked for the person to be removed, Collins described the demonstrator as “obviously one of Troy’s supporters.” Jackson responded: “Oh, shut up. I don’t even know that kid.” The exchange came during a closely contested race ahead of the November 3 election. Jackson is a former president of Maine’s state Senate, while Collins, the longest-serving Republican woman in Senate history, is seeking a sixth term. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

The Sunrise Movement said on Instagram that the interruption came from one of its members and expressed pride in the volunteer’s action. The AP reports cited a New York Times interview with Henry Elgie, a 19-year-old Bowdoin College student in Maine identified as the protester. Elgie told the newspaper on Saturday that there had been no coordination with Jackson’s campaign and that he did not know Jackson personally. Jackson told CNN that he had shaken hands with Collins after each of their debates. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]