Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski made it clear that she will not support former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election during an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju.
“I absolutely will not vote for Donald Trump,”
Murkowski stated firmly while walking on Capitol Hill, expressing her disappointment in the lack of a Republican nominee she could endorse. She emphasized her independence, lamenting the Republican Party’s alignment with Trump.
When asked about the possibility of becoming an independent, Murkowski acknowledged her independent-mindedness and expressed concern about the direction of her party.
“I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that,” she remarked.
Murkowski’s stance against Trump dates back to her reelection in 2022, where she defeated a candidate endorsed by Trump. Her decision stemmed from Trump’s targeting of her due to her vote to impeach him following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Joining Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Todd Young (R-IN) in publicly opposing Trump’s candidacy in 2024, Murkowski’s stance underscores a growing divide within the Republican Party.
Previously endorsing Nikki Haley in the GOP presidential primary, Murkowski has also indicated openness to supporting Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) for president.
“When asked about a potential matchup between Biden and Trump, I know exactly where I’d go. I would go with Joe Manchin,” Murkowski stated last July on PBS, expressing a preference for proactive voting rather than choosing the “lesser of evils.”
Despite her preference, Murkowski remains uncertain if the system would allow for a candidate like Manchin to succeed, concluding with a note of skepticism about the current political landscape.
