Crossing President Donald Trump is the ultimate political taboo for Republican lawmakers. That is, unless you are Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Trump has backed primary challenges to his detractors. He has maligned his opponents on social media. He has revoked funding in states where politicians dare to defy him. Revenge was a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign. The political environment has become so toxic for Trump’s Republican critics that they are almost entirely extinct — or muzzled — in the halls of Congress.
But Murkowski, a 20-year veteran of the Senate — has made no secret of her distaste for Trump and his agenda. The Alaska Republican has been so outspoken with her concerns that she told a group of Alaskan nonprofit leaders recently she is often “very anxious” about using her voice because “retaliation is real.” But that hasn’t stopped her. This term alone, she opposed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation, saying he demonstrated a “lack of judgement that is unbecoming.” She’s called certain DOGE operations “unlawful.” And, last week, she voted to limit Trump’s tariff authority.