Lisa Murkowski admits being ‘anxious’ about retaliation under Trump
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed meaningful anxiety regarding potential retaliation from the Trump governance during a recent leadership summit in Alaska. She shared her concerns with nonprofit leaders, indicating that she ofen feels hesitant to voice her opinions because of the real threat of backlash. Murkowski criticized the rapid cuts to federal programs by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, describing the situation as “head-spinning.” She also voiced her dissatisfaction with Trump’s refusal to allocate funds already approved by Congress, deeming it illegal.
During the discussion, murkowski acknowledged the fear among voters about recent policy changes and noted that many GOP colleagues are also reluctant to speak up due to the possibility of facing primary challenges from those aligned with Trump. Though she did not mention Trump by name, it is evident she has been a consistent critic, especially after her vote to convict him during impeachment proceedings related to the January 6 Capitol riot. Despite being under pressure,Murkowski has maintained her position in the Senate for over two decades and is set to remain until the 2028 elections,which will be the first presidential year without Trump on the ballot since 2012.
Lisa Murkowski admits being ‘very anxious’ about ‘retaliation’ under Trump administration
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed fear over possible retaliation from the Trump administration, telling nonprofit organization leaders in Alaska that she is “very anxious” about using her voice.
While speaking at the Foraker Group’s leadership summit in Alaska on Monday, Murkowski was asked what she would say to voters who are afraid of recent policy decisions made by the Trump administration.
“We are all afraid, OK?” Murkowski said. “It’s quite a statement.”
She continued, “I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice because retaliation is real.”
During the 45-minute discussion, Murkowski also criticized the speed at which the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency have moved to slim down the federal government.
“It is head-spinning,” Murkowski said, according to the Anchorage Daily News. “It seems that just when you’ve made a little bit of progress on one issue that had caused so much anxiety, there’s another one.”
Murkowski, who voted to convict Trump of an impeachment charge for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, admonished Trump’s refusal to disburse funds already appropriated by Congress to agencies cut by DOGE, saying it was “against the law,” according to the outlet.
“It’s called the checks and balances. And right now we are not balancing as the Congress,” Murkowski said.
This is not the first time Murkowski has broken with Trump recently. In an X post, she openly criticized his administration for what she described as “walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.”
Trump and his allies have threatened to support primary challenges against congressional Republicans who refuse to fall in line with his administration’s policy and agenda, which lawmakers have bristled at.
Murkowski, who fended off a Trump-backed challenger in 2022, called such threats “stupid.”
Murkowski has held her seat for over two decades. She is the state’s first female senator and the second-most senior Republican woman in the Senate, behind Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump of an impeachment charge for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. However, they fell short of the two-thirds threshold for impeachment. Only three of the seven Republicans remain in the Senate: Murkowski, Collins, and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
Although Murskowski did not mention Trump by name at the conference, she and Collins have been two of the most outspoken Trump critics in the Republican Party.
“They’re looking at how many things are being thrown at me, and it’s like, ‘Maybe I just better duck and cover,’” Murkowski said last month in the Alaska State Capitol. “That’s why you’ve got everybody just like, zip lip, not saying a word because they’re afraid they’re going to be taken down. They’re going to be primaried. They’re going to be given names in the media.”
Murkowski will not be up for reelection until 2028, the first presidential election year in which Trump will not be on the ballot since 2012.
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