Politically endangered Susan Collins begs Trump to 'step back' from coronavirus response

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), whom polls show is in danger of losing her Senate seat this fall, is urging President Donald Trump to let medical professionals do all the talking about the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bangor Daily News reports that Collins on Friday said Trump should "step back" from being the public face of the pandemic response and letting people like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, take the lead.

"It is very important that health professionals be out front and that there be a consistent message," she said.

Collins also whacked the administration for being slow to get America's coronavirus testing capacity up to speed.

"Testing should be more available than it is," she said. “That was an issue that many of us raised yesterday at the federal briefing and we did not get a satisfactory response."

Collins has taken plenty of heat from Democratic voters in her state over the past two years for voting to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and for voting to acquit President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Maine has voted for Democratic presidential candidates in every election since 1988.