AUGUSTA — Sen. Susan Collins said Friday a proposal from President Donald Trump to send $5,000 post-election checks to Americans if Republicans win in November would be expensive.

And she doesn’t think “fiscal policy of that type should be tied to election results.”

“I don’t know the details yet, but it appears that there would not be any income cap on it and that it would be extraordinarily expensive, in excess of a trillion dollars,” she told reporters. “I don’t see that as being feasible in this economic environment.”

She said it might be possible to craft a “scaled down version” that’s more targeted. 

Collins, a Republican, is chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is facing a Nov. 3 challenge from former Democratic Maine Senate President Troy Jackson.

Jackson spokeswoman Maggie Amjad cast doubt on the check proposal.

“Just like Susan Collins, Donald Trump has promised a whole lot of things he can’t or won’t deliver for working people,” she said. “Mainers know that with Susan Collins’ help, Donald Trump has gutted our healthcare system to fund tax cuts for billionaires, endangered Social Security, and started another endless war that’s only raising costs.”

Trump announced the check proposal Wednesday during the GOP midterm convention in Dallas. He said the checks would be issued to adults if the Republicans retain control of the House and Senate. 

Collins said she didn’t attend the convention in Dallas because she has never attended a national political convention when she’s running for reelection. She said she also had not watched Trump’s speech in which he announced the checks.

Collins, who is locked in a competitive reelection battle, said political parties often use different tactics to win races.

“Obviously there are different policies pursued by different parties,” she said. “But this seemed to in be the nature of a reward, if you will.”