GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski Lauds Mattis’ Takedown of Trump: ‘Honest, Necessary and Overdue’

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) praised former Defense Secretary James Mattis’ words against President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling them “honest” and “overdue.”

Mattis said on Wednesday that President Trump “is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us… We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.”

In response, Murkowski reportedly told Politico that Mattis’ comments were “true, honest, necessary and overdue,” before admitting she’s “struggling” on whether to support the president in the election this year.

“I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time,” she said. “I think right now as we are all struggling to find ways to express the words that need to be expressed appropriately, questions about who I’m going to vote for not going to vote for I think are distracting.”

Extraordinary comments just now from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) who tells us Mattis’ words were “true, honest, necessary and overdue.” Says she’s struggling with the question of whether to support Trump in 2020.

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 4, 2020

“I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time…I think right now as we are all struggling to find ways to express the words that need to be expressed appropriately, questions about who I’m going to vote for not going to vote for I think are distracting.”

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 4, 2020

Other Republican senators dismissed Mattis’ comments, with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) responding, “It’s Gen. Mattis’ opinion, he’s free to express it.”