FUEL’S ERRAND

Vulnerable GOP Senator Begs for Gas Money After Upholding Trump’s War

A five-term Republican senator is seeking campaign donations to fuel her statewide tour.

A Republican senator begged supporters for as little as $5 to fuel her re-election campaign—despite voting several times to uphold the Iran war and her husband holding thousands of dollars’ worth of oil and gas stocks.

Susan Collins of Maine, 73, sent out a fundraising email on Monday asking for cash for her campaign’s statewide tour from Kittery to Madawaska. Collins is widely considered to be one of the most vulnerable incumbent Republicans, with Maine voting for Kamala Harris in 2024.

“Organizing a tour of this scale takes a lot of coordination, enthusiasm, and quite literally fuel,” the email from Team Collins read. “Will you chip in just $5 today to help us put gas in the tank and keep our team moving forward?”

“Every dollar goes directly toward keeping our team on the road, our events fully stocked, and our bus powered from stop to stop,” it added.

But the plea for gas money stands in stark contrast to the five-term Republican’s multiple votes to uphold President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, which has caused fuel prices to skyrocket, and her own husband’s investments of up to $150,000 in major oil and gas players.

In March and April, Collins voted repeatedly against efforts to halt U.S. involvement in the Iran war, Senate records show.

“We cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran. The Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile development, and support for terrorist proxies pose serious and longstanding threats to the national security of the United States and our allies,” she said in a statement on March 4, just days after Trump waged war with the Middle Eastern power.

“Passing this resolution now would send the wrong message to Iran and to our troops,” she added, referring to the resolution seeking to direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran. “At this juncture, providing unequivocal support to our service members is critically important, as is ongoing consultation by the administration with Congress.”

By the end of April, however, her mind had changed on the war as it sent prices soaring and grew increasingly unpopular with Americans.

“As I have said since these hostilities began, the president’s authority as commander in chief is not without limits,” she said in a statement on April 30. “The Constitution gives Congress an essential role in decisions of war and peace, and the War Powers Act establishes a clear 60-day deadline for Congress to either authorize or end U.S. involvement in foreign hostilities. That deadline is not a suggestion; it is a requirement.”

“Further military action against Iran must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close,” she went on. “I voted to end the continuation of these military hostilities at this time until such a case is made.”

As the war became a pain point for Americans struggling to fill up their tanks, Collins’ household stood to benefit from the rising prices.

Collins’ annual report for the calendar year 2025 showed that her husband, Thomas Daffron, holds up to $150,000 in corporate securities issued by petroleum companies ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66.

The senator’s office and campaign team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story. In March, Collins spokesperson Blake Kernen told NOTUS that Daffron’s investment decisions “are made exclusively by a third-party adviser without his consultation.”

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Julia OrnedoReporter

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