Collins tells CNN she judged Kavanaugh on his qualifications
Susan CollinsU.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection, in a CNN interview
Asked by CNN's Manu Raju whether it was a mistake to put Kavanaugh on the Court, Collins said Kavanaugh told her Roe was settled law, that she could not ask how he would vote, and that she decided based on his qualifications. She said she did not like his Dobbs decision.
Responding to
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“I make the decisions based on the qualifications of the individual. And that is what I did with Brett Kavanaugh.”
Original text
Other statements by Susan Collins in this case
- Collins denies Platner's accusation about her Kavanaugh voteEarlier: Denied
- Collins defends Kavanaugh confirmation voteEarlier: Defended or excused
- Collins tells Fox News Roe would have fallen with or without KavanaughEarlier: Minimized
Where this statement fits
Was Susan Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh justified after Dobbs?
In 2018 Susan Collins supported Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation, citing his discussion of precedent and Roe v. Wade. He joined the 2022 Dobbs opinion overruling Roe, which Collins said conflicted with what he had told her about long-standing precedent. In June 2026 she said she did not regret the confirmation vote while disagreeing with his Dobbs vote. Her critics argue that the confirmation enabled the loss of nationwide abortion protections.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
CNN’s transcript preserves Collins’s on-the-trail interview response. She said Kavanaugh was qualified while saying she did not like his Dobbs decision. The exchange documents her current characterization of her confirmation vote; it does not establish any private assurance by Kavanaugh.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Raju asked Collins whether, looking back, it was a mistake to put Kavanaugh on the Court. She said a nominee cannot be asked how he will vote, that Kavanaugh told her he considered Roe settled law, and that she is the only Republican senator to have voted for the three liberal women on the Court.
After the quotation
Pressed on whether it was a mistake, Collins said Kavanaugh was qualified to be on the Court and that it was obvious she did not like his decision on Roe.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh and whether it remains justified after Dobbs. Collins answers a direct question about whether the vote was a mistake by restating the basis for it: his qualifications. That defends the vote, so we used Defended or excused. Mixed or conditional is close because she says she disliked his Dobbs decision, but she does not let that change her view of the vote. The quote is from CNN's transcript.
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- Brett Kavanaugh
More from this case
Read the full caseFried challenges Collins's argument about Kavanaugh's Dobbs vote
“Thus it was a five person majority without the Chief Justice that ended a federal right to abortion.”Read statement
Jackson asks whether Collins should be trusted to pick the next justice
“Would you trust her to pick the next Supreme Court justice?”Read statement
Troy Jackson says Collins's Kavanaugh vote shows she is not pro-choice
“Let's put this idea that Susan Collins is pro-choice, you know, completely behind us.”Read statement
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- Collins tells CNN she judged Kavanaugh on his qualifications
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The Dispute Index. "Collins tells CNN she judged Kavanaugh on his qualifications". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4779-asked-by-cnn-s-manu-raju-whether-it