For years, the most unpopular senator in Morning Consult rankings has been Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). It’s hard to love Senate leadership — to the Democrats, he is the face of evil, and to Republicans, his every failure to deliver on a specific policy counts against him.

But according to the latest rankings, that title no longer belongs to McConnell. Instead, the most unpopular senator is now Maine’s Susan Collins:

Eli Yokley
@eyokley

NEW: Our latest Senate approval rankings are live. I took a look at the most vulnerable lawmakers:
• Susan Collins is now the most unpopular senator (taking that distinction from McConnell) #MESen
• Martha McSally is taking heat from all sides. #AZSen

https://morningconsult.com/2020/01/16/impeachment-trial-set-to-put-vulnerable-senate-republicans-in-a-familiar-bind/

https://twitter.com/eyokley/status/1217945172035690497

This is an incredible turnaround. Just five years ago, Collins was the second most popular senator, behind only Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). For most of her career, she has enjoyed strong cross-party support, owing to her personal brand as a bipartisan legislator.

That has changed in the Trump era. Collins has been a deciding vote many of the president’s most major controversial actions, including the passage of the disastrous corporate tax cuts and the elevation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Legendary author Stephen King, one of Maine’s most famous residents, has made it his goal to defeat her, and she now has a number of Senate challengers in 2020 — most prominently Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, but also several others including former Maine Women’s Forum director Betsy Sweet, defense attorney Bre Kidman, and independent candidate Tiffany Bond.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/mitch-mcconnell-is-no-longer-the-most-unpopular-senator-now-its-susan-collins/

David Corn
@DavidCornDC

Trump. Broke. The. Law. For. His. Own. Personal. Political. Benefit.

https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1217825327101173760

Aaron Rupar
@atrupar

Wow. Here's @SenMcSallyAZ angrily calling @mkraju "a liberal hack" while refusing to answer questions

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1217830361662705664

“Forgive me for being cynical, but I think John Bolton wants to sell his book,” Scarborough said. “These people who were saying, you know what? We’ll give you Bolton. You give us, fill in the blank. I mean, whoever else is called, if the Republicans call (anyone), will not talk about executive privilege, but I guarantee you John Bolton will.”

“You talk about drug deals,” he said. “I think there’s a smaller drug deal going on between Bolton and the White House right now, where there’s a nod and a wink. Yes, I’m going to say that I’ll testify, knowing perfectly well the second he gets there to testify the White House will claim executive privilege, and he’ll say, you know what? I came here to testify, but this really does fit under executive privilege, and I’m not going to weaken the presidency and so then Republicans call who they want to call. I think the fix is already in here.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/the-fix-is-already-in-msnbcs-morning-joe-accuses-trump-and-bolton-of-senate-testimony-conspiracy/

Reuters
@Reuters

Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman will lead the House ‘managers’ in the #impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the Senate https://reut.rs/2QUd9MI

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1217614947095584768

Neal Katyal
@neal_katyal

This letter from Giuliani, just released,looks hugely significant. It says Ukraine was done for the President in his personal capacity and w Trump’s knowledge,not, as Trump has claimed,for the American people. Trump is going to have to claim Giuliani lying https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20200114_-_parnas_excerpts_translated_slide_deck.pdf

6:12 PM · Jan 14, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/neal_katyal/status/1217222872760012802

Senate Republicans

@SpeakerPelosi’s “urgent” impeachment will come to the Senate tomorrow.

Now…it’s our turn.

Glenn Kessler
@GlennKesslerWP
Trump claimed that he's gotten $1 billion in the bank from the Saudis to pay for US troops. But the Pentagon just confirmed to me the Saudis still have not paid their outstanding bill for refueling costs in the Yemen war. So let's label Trump's statement as highly doubtful.
5:35 PM · Jan 13, 2020·Twitter Web App

https://twitter.com/GlennKesslerWP/status/1216851363390541829