Fears for Senator, 73, after reelection campaign ad shows her 'vibrating like an electric toothbrush'

By ROSS IBBETSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Published: 16:29, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 16:29, 5 May 2026 Republican Senator Susan Collins has sparked health concerns after appearing to shake in a re-election campaign advert. The 73-year-old Maine Senator is seen unboxing a pair of sneakers in the video, her hands trembling as she opens the package, head twitching and voice quavering. 'This is perfect for 2026 because I'm... running,' Collins says shakily as she holds up one of the sneakers. The video sparked concerns for her health with journalist Ken Klippenstein posting on X that she appeared to be 'vibrating like an electric toothbrush.' Others questioned whether she was healthy enough to seek re-election. Collins, who assumed office in 1997, is running for a sixth term and faces Democrat Graham Platner in November's Senate race. Others said that while they do not support the GOP Senator, who has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, her shaking should not count against her. 'I don't agree with her but just because she shakes doesn't really mean anything,' said one X user. Here's 73-year-old Senator Susan Collins vibrating like an electric toothbrush in her re-election campaign announcement 😬 pic.twitter.com/RewtJq0RyW The 73-year-old Maine Senator is seen unboxing a pair of sneakers in the video, her hands trembling as she opens the package, head twitching and voice quavering Collins' shaking is not new and has been discussed following previous appearances dating back to at least 2019. The re-election campaign advert was first posted in February but went viral today and sparked a wave of concern, as well as criticism amid calls for term limits. 'Any other job in America will fire you if you can't perform due to health reasons but somehow politicians just get to keep milking it and doing nothing,' wrote one commenter. US Senators have six-year terms but there are no federal term limits, meaning they can keeping seeking re-election indefinitely. Trump turned on Collins after her Venezuela war powers vote in January, urging voters to oust her and saying she 'should never be elected to office again.' Republicans are defending 22 Senate seats in November as they fight to protect Trump's 53-47 majority.  Collins has been contacted for comment. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.