While Trump was in the state to campaign for several candidates he has endorsed, he focused much of his speech on Murkowski, calling her “a lousy senator” shortly after opening his stump speech. “He’s a total creature of the Washington swamp, but far worse than that, and a tool of a corrupt establishment the likes of which we’ve never seen before. The fake media loves her,” Trump said. The former president criticized Murkowski for opposing the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh while joining two other Republican senators and all 50 Democrats to vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. He also criticized her for voting in favor of bipartisan gun safety legislation passed after the high-profile shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. “This is your precious opportunity to unseat the horrible RINO Senator Lisa Murkowski, who is worse than a Democrat. She’s worse than a Democrat,” Trump said, using the acronym “Republican in Name Only.” Trump-backed Alaska Senate candidate Kelly Chibaka called Murkowski “Biden’s chief adviser,” adding that she was his “chief proxy.” Murkowski has drawn Trump’s ire after voting with six other Republican senators to impeach the former president following a riot on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. In June 2021, he endorsed Tshibaka, setting up one of the Senate races with more views for November. Trump’s rally in Alaska comes ahead of the state’s Aug. 16 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the Senate race as “solidly Republican,” meaning whoever wins the GOP primary will be considered the heavy favorite in November. The former president also praised former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who is running for the state’s only House seat and is another of Trump’s supporters. “She will be a true warrior for your state and for the country,” Trump said of Palin during his rally. “Sir, we need you back. Four years, four more years,” Palin said as she took the stage next to Trump. “And President Trump, you’re home.” Trump also waded into a number of other topics, including Elon Musk’s decision to end his deal to buy Twitter and the Tesla CEO’s “rotten” contract. Biden Defends Saudi Arabia Trip FBI Investigates ‘Possible Threat’ Against Texas Synagogue “You know [what] did he say the other day? “Oh, I’ve never voted Republican.” I said, “I didn’t know that.” He told me he voted for me,” Trump said. Musk has made multiple comments about his party leanings in recent months, saying in May that he “might never vote Republican” and tweeting last month that he voted Republican for the “first time.” “So it’s another artist, but he’s not going to buy it. He’s not going to buy it. Although maybe later, who the hell knows what’s going to happen? He has a pretty rotten contract.” The comments come after Musk tweeted last month that he had not yet decided who he would endorse for president in 2024, but was leaning toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis (D). DeSantis is rumored to be considering a run for president and could challenge Trump in a GOP primary if both decide to seek the party’s nomination.
