PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The fallout continues after Senator Susan Collins's decision to vote to elevate Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. Now, those who are angry with over her vote are calling for a boycott on visiting Maine or buying any of it's products until Collins is out of office.
The reaction began after Senator Collins announced on Friday ahead of the Senate vote Saturday that she would indeed vote "yes" on Kavanaugh's confirmation. People took to social media, urging others not to support Maine's economy while Collins still serves as Maine's U.S. senator, some even using #boycottmaine.
Actor and comedian John Fugelsang was one of the first to add his opinion to the mix on Friday, tweeting, "Dear Susan Collins - I really struggled with this but my tourist $ just voted against ever visiting Maine while you remain in office." The tweet has since been shared more than 5,000 times and gained more than 22,000 likes.
Others responded to Fugelsang, echoing his thoughts. One woman saying she won't take her family to Maine this year for their annual ski trip.
Another social media user said they won't follow through with their plan to purchase LL Bean's iconic Bean Boots due to the fact that the company pays taxes in Maine, while others joined in saying they've canceled their vacations or will no longer purchase products made in or derived from Maine.
According to the Portland Press Herald, some have even started to see the effects of this social media trend. The owner of Getmainelobster.com told the publication that he's already lost some customers.
However, some say that no matter how one may feel about Collins's vote, Mainers and their businesses should not be punished.
Since returning to Maine on Saturday night, Senator Collins says she's gotten mostly positive feedback about her decision to vote for Kavanaugh to be sworn into the Supreme Court.