Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday she was "appalled" to see her colleague Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) booed and nearly censured at the Utah Republican Party state convention a day earlier.
Why it matters: The effort to censure Romney for his vote to convict former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol failed by a 711-798 vote. A number of Republicans have faced backlash in their home states for voting to convict Trump, as the former president continues to have significant sway over the party.
What they're saying: "Mitt Romney is an outstanding senator who serves his state and our country well,"Collins said Sunday. "We Republicans need to remember that we are united by fundamental principles."
"We are not a party that is lead by just one person. There are many prominent upcoming younger men and women in our party who hold great promise for leading us."
"[T]he person who agrees with 70 or 80% of the time is your friend, not your enemy."
Of note: Collins also defended Liz Cheney, who was censured by the Wyoming GOP for her vote against Trump.
"Liz Cheney is a woman of strength and conscience, and she did what she felt was right, and I salute her for that. We need to be accepting of differences in our party."
