Yes, Collins usually votes with Trump, as Platner said. But she broke with him at key moments.
The fact-check examines how often Collins’s votes aligned with Trump’s positions and highlights several exceptions.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYPolitiFact is an established fact-checking newsroom with an identified author and transparent sourcing. The article cites vote analysis and named experts, though the analysis depends in part on an external vote metric.
- Source type — Established national fact-checking outlet with a record of original reporting.
- Transparency — It identifies its data source, experts, and other sources.
- Author attribution — The article names its reporter.
The fact-check identifies the source and limits of the vote statistic, consults political science experts, and provides examples of votes that complicate the headline percentage. It could give more detail on the specific votes included in the analysis.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article verifies Platner’s numerical claim while adding expert caveats and examples of Collins breaking with Trump. It gives less attention to direct responses from the candidates.
- Counterarguments presented — Explains that the statistic treats votes equally and cites notable disagreements with Trump.
- Source diversity — Draws on a vote-analysis source and named academic experts.
- Omitted context — Offers limited direct response from the candidates to the fact-check’s assessment.
The article uses neutral fact-checking language, presents the vote statistic alongside its limitations and counterexamples, and reaches a qualified rating.
- Language tone — Mostly neutral, attributed language without pronounced partisan cues.
- Framing — Balances Collins’s high rate of agreement with examples of disagreement.
- Source selection — Uses a vote-analysis source and expert commentary to assess the statistic.
PolitiFact found Graham Platner’s claim that Susan Collins votes with Donald Trump 95% of the time mostly true, citing a 94.6% match in 2025. It also notes Collins’s votes against Trump on several high-profile issues.
Platner made the claim during his Senate primary victory speech. PolitiFact compared it with CQ Roll Call’s analysis, which found that Collins supported Trump’s position on 94.6% of the votes it examined in 2025; the article says she aligned with Trump about 90% of the time during his first term.
The article notes that the percentage does not reflect the importance of each vote. It describes Collins’s votes against Trump on a funding measure and a resolution related to Iran, her opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and earlier opposition including her vote to convict Trump after the Jan. 6 attack. PolitiFact rated Platner’s statement “Mostly True.”
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSED
No good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Collins in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Collins’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →Senator and subject of the fact-check’s review of her voting record
President whose positions are used as the basis for comparing Collins’s votes
Senator cited in comparison of Republican senators’ voting alignment with Trump
Senator named by Dave Weldon as a reason the White House withdrew his nomination
Democratic Senate candidate whose statement is being fact-checked
Senator cited in comparison of Republican senators’ voting alignment with Trump
Part of a bigger story
5 OUTLETSGraham Platner criticized Susan Collins's record, and Collins rejected his characterization and defended her record. Left-leaning outlets portray the criticism of Platner as a Republican attack and Collins as hypocritical. Center outlets focus on the dispute over Collins's record and her voting alignment with Trump. Right-leaning outlets foreground Collins's defense of her record and work for Maine, while stressing Platner's controversies and rhetoric.
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 71
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