Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said in an interview published Sunday that she would not vote for former President Donald J. Trump. She also did not rule out leaving the Republican Party.
In the interview Ms. Murkowski gave to CNN, she said she would “absolutely not” support Mr. Trump in the November general election. She said she wished Republicans had nominated someone she could vote for, but she “certainly can’t stand behind Donald Trump.”
When asked if she might leave the party and become an independent, she said she considered herself “very independent” and added: “My only regret is that our party seems to be becoming a party of Donald Trump.” But she gave not a yes-or-no answer and said: “I’m navigating some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that.”
If Ms. Murkowski were to leave the Republican Party, it would be welcome news for Democrats, who face an extremely difficult situation in November’s Senate elections. Three of their current seats are up for election in red states, and several more are up for election in swing states. There are almost no opportunities to pick up seats that Republicans currently hold, and given their very slim majority, there is no room for error.
Ms. Murkowski, who has served in the Senate for more than 20 years, has long been more moderate than many Republicans. Among other positions rare in her party, she supports abortion rights and has long been critical of Mr. Trump, including when she voted to convict him in his impeachment trial following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
But most elected Republicans, even those who denounced Mr. Trump after Jan. 6, have come back behind him as it has become clear that he will be the party’s presidential nominee.
Ms. Murkowski’s declaration that she will not vote for Mr. Trump puts her in the company of a small number of prominent anti-Trump Republicans, including Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
“No, no, no, absolutely not,” Mr. Romney said last month when asked by CNN whether he would vote for Mr. Trump.
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2024-03-24 21:11:43
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