Former President Trump
Donald Trump Trump Announces New Tranche of Approvals DeSantis, Pence Bound in 2024 Republican Poll Lawmakers Demand Changes After National Guard Troops in Capitol Get Sick With Contaminated Food MORE vowed to travel to Alaska to campaign against Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiSenate Rejects Sander’s Minimum Wage Hike The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented By Facebook – Virus Lighting Bill Heading To Vote In Weekend Hillicon Valley: YouTube To Recover Trump’s Account | House-passed election bill targets foreign interference | Senators are introducing legislation to create MORE international technical partnerships (R) next year if she seeks re-election.
Murkowski, who first took office in 2002, has been a long-standing critic of the former president and top GOP wildcard in recent votes. She rescheduled her party this week by announcing that she will be Rep. Deb Haaland
Deb Haaland The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented By Facebook – Virus Control Bill Heading To Vote Over Weekend The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented By ExxonMobil – Increased Security On Capitol Hill Amid QAnon’s March 4 Date Murkowski Votes Senate Panel To Get Haaland Nomination to promote MORE‘s (DN.M.) nomination to serve as Secretary of the Interior, and she was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted last month to condemn Trump in his impeachment process.
She is the only one of the seven to pursue reelection in 2022.
Under no circumstances will I support the failed candidate from the great state of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski. She represents her state poorly and her country worse. I don’t know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be. will be – campaigning in Alaska against an unfaithful and very bad senator, “Trump said in a statement to The Hill.” Her vote to promote the radical left Democrat Deb Haaland to Secretary of the Interior is yet another example of Murkowski who does not stand up for Alaska. “
The threat marks the latest hint that Trump plans to commit himself heavily in 2022 races across the country.
Republicans predict Trump will cast himself as kingmaker in the GOP as he considers a bid of his own for 2024. While he has seen his approval rating drop nationally since the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill, his endorsement is still coveted by Republican candidates eager to make love with a base that still overwhelmingly supports the former president.
In his first statements of support since leaving office, Trump has especially backed incumbent lawmakers who also enjoy the backing of the establishment. However, he has informed incumbent lawmakers that he could also fight for their defeats if he feels they did not sufficiently support him or his agenda – with his threat against Murkowski as a reminder that incumbent power does not just protect against a Trump Challenge.
“Where necessary and appropriate, I will support primary rivals who embrace Making America Great Again and our America First policies. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful and compassionate leadership, ”Trump said in a statement last month.
To live up to that threat, Trump last month backed former White House aide Max Miller, who is challenging Rep. Anthony GonzalezAnthony Gonzalez Trump Announces New Tranche of Republicans Recommendations, Please Save Your Party House GOP Campaign Leader: Not Helpful for Trump to Meddle in Primaries MORE (R-Ohio), one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in instigating the deadly January 6 uprising.
Trump’s feud with Murkowski dates back to at least 2018. Murkowski voted against confirming Brett Kavanaugh
Brett Michael Kavanaugh Hear Judges spar over scope of safeguards for minority voters Supreme Court Faces Groundbreaking Voting Challenge Will ‘Cover-up Cuomo’ march to ‘Jail to the Chief’? LAKE before the Supreme Court that year, saying in 2020 that Trump should not have named a replacement for the late judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader GinsburgBarrett Author of Supreme Court First Majority Opinion Against Environmental Group How to Pass Senate Legislation Without Eliminating Filibuster Law Introduced to Create RBG Monument on Capitol Hill MORE after Republicans refused in 2016 to take on then-President Obama’s candidate to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in an election year.
While Trump’s threat against Murkowski is the strongest sign yet that he plans to fire her, the Alaska Republican is not electoral slowness.
Murkowski lost the GOP primary to a right-wing activist in 2010, but eventually won re-election through a writing campaign, underscoring her appeal to voters outside of her party membership. And under Alaska’s ranked voting system, the top four voters will advance to the general election in an open primary, meaning she won’t be putting the same partisan pressure on her as she did in 2010.
In addition, Murkowski is expected to receive support from party organs. Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), The chairman of the National Republican Senate Committee, said in January that he will back incumbent GOP senators against Trump-backed primary challengers.
Republicans have expressed concern that challenges to incumbent lawmakers from the Trump wing of the GOP could jeopardize their chances in the meantime. Republicans are just five seats away from gaining control of the House and one seat from winning the Senate, and have looked to paper divisions in their early messages.
Perhaps in more noble times a lot of infighting and quarreling wouldn’t do much damage. Frankly, I enjoy chatting back and forth, and have no interest in trying to stifle policy dialogue and debates between parties, ”Scott wrote in a February memo. “But now is not the time for division, and here’s why: for the first time in our lives, socialism has become the unabashed, ruling policy of the Democratic Party.”
Still, the threat of a Trump challenge poses real risks to incumbent lawmakers – a reality Murkowski acknowledged after her vote to condemn Trump last month.
“I know that my actions, my vote, can have political consequences. And I understand that. I totally understand that, ”she said. “But I can’t be afraid of that.”
Murkowski’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill about Trump’s vow, first reported by Politico.