--- title: "Joe Manchin to campaign with Susan Collins in Maine" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/joe-manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/joe-manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/joe-manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/joe-manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-20T09:46:05.219Z" source_reported: "2026-10-20T09:02:41.000Z" updated: "2026-10-20T09:46:05.219Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 25 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-20T10:45:15.071774+00:00" --- # Joe Manchin to campaign with Susan Collins in Maine *Former West Virginia senator to support Republican in tight Senate race* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and multiple digests corroborate the central claim, with sourcing to Fox News and Semafor. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is clear and holds together, with quotes from key figures and explanation of the political context. - Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are direct and factual, with minimal sensationalism and no significant exaggeration of the story's substance. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Former Democratic Senator Joe Manchin will campaign with Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine. - Manchin stated his motivation is to counter attacks on Collins for voting with President Trump. - Manchin called statistics showing Collins voting with Trump 90% or more of the time "bullsh*t". - Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to campaign for Collins' opponent, Troy Jackson, the day after Manchin's visit. Former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent, is scheduled to campaign with Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine. Collins is in a close race against Democrat Troy Jackson for a seat that could determine the balance of the Senate. Manchin stated his intention is to counter Democratic attacks on Collins regarding her voting record with President Trump. Manchin told Semafor that he wants to ensure Maine residents understand how Collins' legislative approach benefits the state. He specifically mentioned the Electoral Count Act, which Collins sponsored, and their work together on the bipartisan infrastructure law. Collins stated that she and Manchin worked across the aisle to address national challenges and build bipartisan coalitions. ## Disagreement on voting statistics Democrats have cited statistics indicating Collins votes with President Trump 90% or more of the time. Manchin, however, called these numbers "bullsh*t," stating they largely include nominee votes. Semafor reported Manchin's visit is dedicated to debunking the idea that Collins has been an enabler for Trump, asserting, "She is not a Trump senator." ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports mention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to campaign for Troy Jackson the day after Manchin's visit. None of the right-rated reports mention the specific statistics Democrats are using to critique Collins' voting record. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 22% (2) - Centre: 11% (1) - Right: 67% (6) 1 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-20T10:45:15.071774+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-20T11:00:16.037Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The two left-rated reports highlighted Manchin's decision to campaign with Collins and his stated motivation for doing so. Both reports noted that Manchin called statistics showing Collins voting with Trump 90% or more of the time "bullsh*t." Semafor, which provided a full report, also detailed Collins' own statements about working with Manchin on bipartisan legislation and mentioned that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to campaign for Troy Jackson the day after Manchin's visit. ### Centre - The centre-rated report from Political Wire focused on the core fact of Manchin's upcoming campaign appearance with Collins, citing Semafor as the source for this information. It also noted Manchin's motivation for the visit, which is to counter attacks on Collins for her voting record with President Trump. ### Right - The right-rated reports led with Manchin campaigning for Republican Senator Susan Collins and framed it as a snub to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Several reports, including The Gateway Pundit and Next News Network, highlighted Manchin's statement that Collins is "not a Trump senator." The Gateway Pundit also included commentary suggesting Manchin's action was a "sharp rebuke" to the Democratic Party and that he and Collins are both moderates. Fox News and Real Clear Politics reported that Manchin wants to ensure the people of Maine understand how Collins' style of legislating benefits the state. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 1 - mixed: 4 - high: 2 - unknown: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [capitalisminstitute.org](https://capitalisminstitute.org/manchin-rebukes-schumer-by-campaigning-for-collins-in-maine-senate-fight) — Manchin Campaigns for Collins, Defying Schumer in Maine - [Politics, Policy, Political News](https://politicom.com.au/former-democrat-senator-joe-manchin-of-west-virginia-to-campaign-for-republican-candidate-in-key-senate-race) — Former Democrat Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to Campaign for Republican Candidate in Key Senate Race - Politics, Policy, Political Views - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/former-democrat-senator-joe-manchin-west-virginia-campaign) — Former Democrat Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to Campaign for Republican Candidate in Key Senate Race * The Gateway Pundit * by Mike LaChance - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/19/manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins) — Manchin to Campaign with Susan Collins - [Next News Network](https://nextnewsnetwork.com/2026/10/19/manchin-bucks-schumer-former-democrat-senator-campaigns-for-susan-collins-in-mai-mvfk7fbd) — Former Democrat Senator Campaigns for Susan Collins in Maine, Calls Her 'Not a Trump Senator' - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/manchin-bucks-schumer-throws-support-behind-republican-democrats-want-to-oust) — Manchin bucks Schumer, throws support behind Republican Democrats want to oust - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/manchin-bucks-schumer-throws-support-behind-republican-democrats-want-oust) — Manchin bucks Schumer, throws support behind Republican Democrats want to oust - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/10/manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine) — Manchin To Campaign With Susan Collins In Maine - [Real Clear Politics](https://realclearpolitics.com/2026/10/19/manchin_to_campaign_with_sen_collins_in_maine_714664.html) — Manchin To Campaign With Sen. Collins in Maine - [Semafor](https://semafor.com/article/10/19/2026/manchin-to-campaign-with-collins-in-maine) — Manchin to campaign with Collins in Maine ## Questions **Why is Joe Manchin campaigning with Susan Collins?** Former Senator Joe Manchin stated his motivation for campaigning with Republican Senator Susan Collins is to counter attacks on her for voting with President Trump. He called statistics suggesting she votes with Trump 90% or more of the time "bullsh*t" and wants to ensure people understand how her legislative approach benefits Maine. **Who is Susan Collins running against in Maine?** Senator Susan Collins is in a tight race against Democrat Troy Jackson for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Jackson has had progressive figures like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders campaign for him, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to appear the day after Manchin's visit. **What did Joe Manchin say about Collins' voting record?** Joe Manchin called statistics showing Senator Susan Collins voting with President Trump 90% or more of the time "bullsh*t." He stated that Collins "is not a Trump senator" and highlighted her bipartisan record, including sponsoring the Electoral Count Act and working on the bipartisan infrastructure law. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/joe-manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Joe Manchin to campaign with Susan Collins in Maine", https://mediabias.news/politics/joe-manchin-to-campaign-with-susan-collins-in-maine