Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson says he does not plan to apologize to Sen. Susan Collins after telling her to “shut up” during a recent debate. The remarks came after a protester interrupted the Maine Senate debate, and Jackson later addressed the incident in interviews, describing the interruption and his reaction.
Outlets report Jackson maintains he stands by his comments and frames the moment as part of a contentious exchange during a tightly contested race. PBS and other coverage cite Jackson’s statements that he did not know who the protester was, and that he was reacting amid accusations and confusion related to the interruption. The Washington Examiner and Washington Times similarly emphasize that Jackson’s position is firm—he is not apologizing—while the specific context of who the protester was and what Jackson believed at the time is presented as unclear in his account.
