Murkowski: January 6th Attack “Not Defendable,” May Leave GOP

TFD – Dive into the political turmoil as Sen. Lisa Murkowski takes a firm stand against Donald Trump and the GOP’s handling of the January 6th attack, hinting at potential party departure.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is furious about Donald Trump’s candidacy and the party’s current course, and she won’t rule out leaving the GOP.

The seasoned Alaskan Republican declared she “absolutely” will not vote for the former president and that she is done with him. She was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment hearing in the wake of January 6, 2021.

“As Republicans, I wish we had a nominee I could support,” Murkowski stated to CNN. “I can’t support Donald Trump at all,”

Given the party’s move in favor of Trump, Murkowski is thinking about her future in the GOP. She declined to declare in the interview if she would continue to be a Republican.

Murkowski responded, “Oh, I think I’m very independent minded,” when asked if she would ever become independent. “I just regret that our party seems to be turning into a Donald Trump party,” she continued.

When asked if that meant that she may turn independent, Murkowski replied, “I’m figuring out some really interesting political times right now.” Let’s just leave it at that.”

It’s not like Murkowski has always been the outsider in her group. The senator was appointed by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, in 2002. Her political views aligned with those of George W. Bush, the president at the time. She also maintained a close bond with Ted Stevens, the senior Republican senator from her state, who provided federal funds that helped Alaska develop.

Later, she discovered that she disagreed with Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska at the time, who had been harshly critical of her father as Sen. John McCain’s running mate. Murkowski was at odds with her party’s rebellious right flank as the tea party grew in 2010. In 2010, she was defeated by Republican Joe Miller in a primary, but she went on to win the general election as the second candidate to ever win a write-in campaign for the Senate.

Even after voting to convict Trump in 2021, rejecting Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court in 2018, and endorsing Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022, Murkowski skewed to reelection in her next two elections. In 2022, she was the focus of Trump and his allies, but Mitch McConnell, the Senate GOP leader, and his well-funded outside organization supported her.

Just a few days before she withdrew from the run in the 2024 cycle, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley received a belated endorsement from Murkowski.

It’s evident now that Murkowski is prepared to move on from Trump. In response to a question concerning Trump’s recent remarks that Jews who support Democrats must “hate” their faith, McCarthy described it as “incredibly wrong and an awful statement.”

When questioned last week about Trump’s other divisive remarks, specifically that he sees the January 6 inmates as “hostages” and “patriots” who ought to be pardoned, Murkowski also pushed back.

Murkowski declared, “I don’t think that it can be defended.” “What transpired on January 6th was an attempt by individuals to storm the building with the intention of preventing the certification of an election.” It is not defendable.