In an interview on “Inside Politics With Manu Raju,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she is not “ruling out” leaving the GOP. The Senator pointed to the party’s shift toward former President Trump and noted her disdain for the change toward the presumptive nominee.
Pressed on whether she is considering becoming an independent, Murkowski replied, “I’m very independent-minded.” She added, “I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Donald Trump.”
During the interview, Raju asked if she would work with Republicans if she became an independent. However, the Senator evaded the question. “I am navigating through some very interesting political times,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”
Furthermore, she reiterated her stance against voting for Trump in the 2024 presidential election. “I wish that, as Republicans, we had a nominee I could get behind,” the Alaska senator said. “I certainly can’t get behind Donald Trump.”
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The interview comes after the Alaska Republican expressed concerns about President Joe Biden and Trump. Lisa Murkowski said she “could not” vote for either Trump or Biden, their respective parties’ presumptive nominees.
Instead, she and fellow Trump critic Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) endorsed Trump challenger Nikki Haley ahead of Super Tuesday. However, Haley dropped her bid after losing every primary contest except Vermont and Washington, D.C.
Before Haley ended her campaign, Lisa Murkowski told NBC News that she wasn’t sure how to approach the presidential election if Haley dropped out. The Alaska Senator also signaled she wasn’t alone in her uncertainty. Murkowski is one of the party’s most outspoken critics of Trump.
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Also, she was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict the former President in his second impeachment in 2021. During the interview, Raju asked Murkowski about Trump’s description of imprisoned January 6 rioters as “hostages.”
She responded, “What happened on January 6 was an effort by people who stormed the building to stop an election.” In 2023, the Alaska senator argued Trump’s comments about immigrants are “poisoning our country.”
Murkowski’s statement came after the former President claimed immigrants were “poisoning the blood” of the country. She condemned Trump’s comment, saying it would bring about division and hate crimes nationwide. She also slammed the former President for inciting violence.
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Lisa Murkowski is one of Trump’s outspoken critics. After the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, she voted to convict him in his second impeachment trial, becoming a target for Trump and his allies. Despite the attacks, Murkowski has been vocal about her thoughts on Trump.
Lisa Murkowski has served in the Senate for over two decades. She condemned Trump’s grip on the GOP conference on Capitol Hill, claiming the party is becoming Trump’s. Notably, the former President’s hold has strengthened in recent months.
Consequently, Republicans in the House and Senate increasingly support the former President’s reelection bid. Trump is facing multiple criminal charges in several states. However, he won the primaries in almost every state, becoming the party’s presumptive nominee.
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