Senator Lisa Murkowski, a seasoned Republican from Alaska, has expressed her deep concern over the direction of her party and the influence of former President Donald Trump. Murkowski, who was among the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial following the events of January 6, 2021, has made it clear that she has no intention of supporting him in any future political endeavors.
“I wish that as Republicans, we had a nominee that I could get behind,” Murkowski shared with CNN. “I certainly can’t get behind Donald Trump.” The party’s increasing alignment with Trump has led Murkowski to question her future within the GOP.
When asked about her political affiliation and whether she might consider becoming an independent, Murkowski responded, “Oh, I think I’m very independent minded.” She further expressed her disappointment, stating, “I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Donald Trump.”
Murkowski, who was appointed in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, has not always found herself at odds with her party. Her political stance was in sync with then-President George W. Bush, and she maintained a close relationship with the senior GOP senator from her state, Ted Stevens. However, she later found herself in conflict with the right-wing faction of her party during the rise of the tea party in 2010.
Despite losing a primary in 2010 to Republican Joe Miller, Murkowski managed to retain her seat after becoming the second candidate ever to win a write-in campaign for Senate in the general election. She was reelected in her next two elections, even after voting to convict Trump in 2021, opposing Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination in 2018, and supporting Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022.
In the 2024 cycle, Murkowski, along with Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, offered a late endorsement of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, just days before she withdrew from the race. Now, Murkowski is clear she’s ready to move past Trump.
Responding to Trump’s recent comments that Jewish people who vote for Democrats must “hate” their religion, Murkowski condemned it as an “incredibly wrong and an awful statement.” She also criticized Trump’s controversial rhetoric regarding the January 6 prisoners, whom he referred to as “hostages” and “patriots” who should be pardoned. “What happened on January 6 was an effort by people who stormed the building in an effort to stop an election certification of an election. It can’t be defended,” Murkowski stated.