President Donald Trump stormed back to office last month, and he and his “government efficiency” czar Elon Musk have made nonstop news by moving to dismantle agencies, freeze federal funding and urge takeovers of foreign territories.
What are Democrats and Trump critics in Maine and other states doing in response? The answers vary among lawmakers, party leaders and the activists pushing them. The through line is the “resistance” is holding protests but is not as big as it was during Trump’s first term.
It has led to increasing tension among Democrats still diagnosing how they lost control of the White House and Congress in November. Frustration was present Wednesday among the hundreds who rallied outside the State House in Augusta to protest Trump after online, right-wing trolls tried to preemptively disrupt the event.
“There’s no question the incoming administration in Washington is very intentionally flooding us with one outrageous seizure of power after another, some of which are clearly unlawful,” Charlie Dingman, the new Maine Democratic Party chair, said Friday. “They’re doing that to keep us so busy … that it’s difficult to know where to concentrate our efforts.”
The four members of Maine’s congressional delegation serve as examples of the disparate beliefs in how to stand up to Trump. Rep. Chellie Pingree, the 1st District Democrat, used a news conference to denounce Trump and Musk for a “lawless amount of chaos and confusion.”
Sen. Angus King, the independent who caucuses with Democrats, used letters and a floor speech to say members took an oath to prevent Musk from “altering how our government is supposed to fundamentally function to protect our people.”
Then there is Rep. Jared Golden, the centrist Democrat from the Trump-friendly 2nd District, who used interviews to criticize Musk’s rapid methods but also withheld judgment on their legality. He also cautioned his party against “responding to everything with outrage.”
The lone Republican in Maine’s delegation, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, has been the main focus of progressives’ ire on Trump. The centrist, who voted to convict Trump in a 2021 impeachment case, told reporters this week she is “very concerned” about Musk’s moves against a foreign aid agency.
But the top Senate appropriator has backed all of Trump’s Cabinet nominees but one and joined senators for a Florida meeting with Trump on Friday. On Thursday, she voted to confirm Russell Vought as Trump’s budget chief despite Vought advocating for the president to exert more control over funding approved by Congress.
Collins, whose office informed the Bangor Daily News she would not be available for an interview until the upcoming week, told other outlets she viewed Vought as qualified but hopes a court would block any attempts by Trump to seize spending power from Congress.
Mainers opposed to Trump and Musk’s actions should focus on Collins, given her top Senate appropriator role, said Ben Chin, deputy director of the liberal Maine’s People Alliance. Chin argued Trump and Musk’s moves are to ultimately cover tax breaks for wealthier Americans.
“There’s the side of Collins that’s essentially pretending to be a moderate, and then there is the senator who voted to uphold the Affordable Care Act,” Chin said, referring to how Collins did not support implementation of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law but later opposed Trump’s first-term effort to repeal it.
Members of the liberal “Indivisible” movement showed up outside Collins’ offices in Maine in the past week to protest Musk’s actions and urge her to “stop the coup.” But more progressive factions of the Democratic Party have questioned whether various protests are enough. The anti-Trump crowd has also scrutinized King for ranking near the bottom of left-leaning senators in so far only opposing five of Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
Dingman credited Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey for joining lawsuits against various Trump orders and noted Democrats continue to control the governor’s office and Legislature. But he said his party must take more time to figure out the best strategy to respond to Trump.
“Since we do not control any of the centers of power in Washington at the present time, it is not easy to find a way to do that,” Dingman said.
Golden, who narrowly won a fourth term in November in the pro-Trump 2nd District, is a “Blue Dog Democrat” who has not been shy about voting against some of former President Joe Biden’s policies while backing some Trump policies. He said in interviews with the Bangor Daily News and the Washington Post that the Democratic resistance has not been effective.
Voters sent a message in November by placing Trump and Republicans in charge of the federal government, Golden added. He advocated for a focus on jobs, housing and infrastructure while advising Democrats to focus “on regaining credibility broadly with the American people.”
Amid Pingree, King and left-leaning constituents warning of the flurry of actions from Musk and Trump, Golden urged patience. He noted the president is only a few weeks into his second term and that lawmakers will otherwise use oversight powers to try to keep Trump in check.
“There are going to be 208 weeks in this president’s administration, and pointing back to these issues of checks and balances, those play out on a longer timetable,” he said.
