Last August, the Lewiston Sun Journal published a letter I submitted, headlined “20 reasons to reject a candidate.”

Tragically for America, most of those reasons have come to pass.

In the White House is a mentally unstable con man. At least since 2000, Donald Trump has wanted an America with himself as sole ruler. Adding to our miseries, he may be descending into dementia. His word salads and wild gyrations on policy are evidence that he cannot hold any thought for more than a few moments. Priorities are shaped by blizzards of lies and distractions, and by whoever insults him, most recently Elon Musk, calling for his impeachment.

His website showed him dressed as a king and the pope, and now includes an insane false claim that President Biden was executed in 2000 and replaced by clones or robots. Think about that: this is the person with the nuclear war suitcase within a few steps.

The costs are clear. The Congressional Budget Office has found that his budget will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit and leave almost 11 million Americans without health insurance. This bill would create $3.75 trillion in tax cuts, mostly for the top 10%, partly offset by $1.3 trillion in federal reduced spending on Medicaid and green energy.

We don’t want Canada, Greenland, Panama or Gaza. We don’t want tariffs that destroy international trade, or submission to tyrants.

We do want Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the NIH and CDC, the IRS, the National Weather Service, national parks, the FBI, FDA, NPR, FAA and USAID, whose worldwide health and literacy programs build worldwide stability. We want a balance of authority between branches of governments. We demand respect for the rule of law and courts.

Maine’s congressional delegation should call Trump’s “big horrible bill” what it is: greed and cruelty. Demolishing food programs, medical care, science research and USAID funding for international health programs that save millions of lives is fundamentally wrong.

Sen. Collins, the spotlight is on you, as a swing vote. Sen. King spoke to the Senate on Margaret Chase Smith’s courage in denouncing an immoral bully, but Sen. McCarthy was far less threatening and dangerous than this president. You send your constituents weekly “Tuesday Report” newsletters. In only three of the last 12 do you have cautious mentions of either “president” or “Trump.”

In the March 4 Report, you wrote of firings of staff at the Togus VA Hospital. In the April 1 Report, you reported complaining about the cancellation of $2.9 billion of emergency funding, approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump weeks before. You wrote, “Just as the President does not have a line-item veto, he does not have the ability to pick and choose which emergency funding to designate.”

In the May 20 Report, you met with Professor Jennifer Taback of Bowdoin’s mathematics department and chair of the American Mathematical Society about cuts to the National Science Foundation. You commented that while you are opposed to many cuts to science and research, “the president’s budget is merely a starting point for funding negotiations.” This seems like cautious whistling past a graveyard, careful reluctance to upset a dangerous man, happy to punish Maine for any perceived lack of obedience.

Trump wants to run America like his often-bankrupt companies, solely on gut instincts with slavishly obedient toadies. The rule of law, morality, public health and welfare, America’s leadership in the world — all are tossed aside to feed the needs of a mentally ill man.

Sen. Collins, you famously commented in 2000 that you hoped Mr. Trump “had learned his lesson” from his impeachment, and often repeat that you are “concerned” about President Trump. He has learned that his lies, bullying and lawless executive orders will often work, absent resistance.

TACO indeed, but only when he is faced with committed, clear resistance. Maine and its leaders must step up.