Vandals Sprayed TWO Words On A GOP Senator’s Door — One Was TRUMP

gloved hand holding a pink spray paint can — Photo: Mehaniq / Shutterstock

Someone spray-painted the words “Trump Whore” across the glass doors of Sen. Susan Collins’ constituent office in Biddeford, Maine. The vandalism was found Monday, September 28, and Biddeford police are investigating. No suspect has been named.

Story Snapshot

Vandals painted “Trump Whore” in red on the doors of Collins’ Biddeford office.
Collins’ chief of staff said the staff “will not be intimidated” and the office remains open.
Biddeford police are investigating, and no suspect has been named.
After first not responding to requests for comment, Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson condemned the vandalism Monday night.

Vulgar Message Discovered On Office Doors

The doors of Collins’ constituent service office on Main Street in Biddeford were defaced in red spray paint, in capital letters. State Sen. Matt Harrington, a Sanford Republican and the assistant Senate minority leader, posted a photo of the vandalism on social media. “This is disgusting, disappointing and it’s not the Maine I grew up in. Do better,” he wrote.

Collins’ chief of staff, Katie Brown, confirmed the vandalism and made clear the office would not shut its doors because of it. “Vandalism is unacceptable. Senator Collins and her staff will not be intimidated. Our Biddeford constituent service office remains open, and we will continue serving the people of Maine,” Brown said.

Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk confirmed her department received a call about the vandalism and is investigating. No arrest has been made and no suspect has been named. The doors were scrubbed clean by that afternoon.

Democratic Challenger’s Delayed Response

Troy Jackson, the former state Senate president running against Collins in November, did not respond at first to reporters seeking comment on the vandalism. He issued a statement Monday night. “There’s no place for this in Maine. Vandalism and intimidation are wrong, full stop,” he said.

Jackson added, “Senator Collins and her staff should be able to do their jobs without anyone defacing their office, and I condemn whoever did this.” Nothing in the reporting ties Jackson or his campaign to the vandalism. Once he spoke, his statement was a clear condemnation with no excuse for the act.

Police Have Not Named A Suspect

Police have not named a suspect or released a motive. Chief Fisk declined to comment beyond confirming the investigation. The message itself ties Collins to President Trump, five weeks before she faces Jackson in a competitive Senate race.

The office has drawn protests before. In July, protesters marched to the Biddeford office after an immigration enforcement shooting that killed a man who was not the target of a warrant. They were protesting Collins’ support for ICE funding. No one has been linked to Monday’s vandalism.

Part Of A Bigger, Troubling Pattern

Threats against people in public office have become common across the country. A Brennan Center for Justice study found 43% of state legislators faced threats over a three-year span, and 18% of local officeholders faced threats within a year and a half. Republicans and Democrats alike have raised alarm about the trend.

Whatever the motive behind the Biddeford graffiti, both parties spoke with one voice on it. Harrington, a Republican, called it “disgusting,” and Jackson, a Democrat, said it was “wrong, full stop.” Collins’ staff, for their part, kept the office open and went back to work serving Maine.