Lisa Murkowski Weighs Her Political Future As She Distances From Donald Trump

Veteran Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has grown disillusioned with the direction of the Republican party under former President Donald Trump. In an interview with CNN, Murkowski made clear she could no longer support Trump and was weighing her political future within the GOP. The six-term senator from Alaska was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial.

When asked directly if she would remain a Republican, Murkowski declined to commit. “I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that,” she stated. As the only Republican senator to win a write-in campaign, Murkowski has a history of independence from her party. But Trump’s continued influence seems to have pushed her to consider severing ties altogether.

Murkowski’s Dissatisfaction With The Trump Wing Of The GOP

Murkowski criticized Trump’s rhetoric on issues like the January 6th insurrection and attacks on American Jews. “I don’t think that it can be defended,” she said of Trump’s claims that January 6th rioters were “patriots.” She called his comments on Jewish voters “incredibly wrong and an awful statement.” Murkowski made clear she wants the GOP to move on from Trump, saying “I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Donald Trump.”

At 62 years old and first elected to the Senate in 2002, Lisa Murkowski’s political future remains uncertain. But her interview with CNN suggests she may leave the Republican party if it does not cut ties with the divisive legacy of Donald Trump. Murkowski has always styled herself as an independent voice in the Senate, and she may decide to shed her formal affiliation with the GOP if it does not change course.