Senator Known for Wild Tweets From ‘Based’ Account Reportedly in Contention to Be Trump’s Next AG

(Alex Brandon/AP)

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reportedly has the backing of some of his Republican Senate colleagues to replace Pam Bondi as attorney general.

NOTUS political reporter Reese Gorman reported in the aftermath of Bondi’s firing, “Some senators are pushing the White House to appoint Sen. Mike Lee as Attorney General following Bondi’s ouster and plan to pitch Trump directly on the idea, sources told me.”

Lee is perhaps best known for his trollish presence on social media, using an account named “BasedMikeLee.” The account has sparked headlines over the years for some of the more off-color things he has posted. Over the summer, Lee deleted posts cracking jokes following the murders of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and State Sen. John Hoffman (D) at their homes.

Lee posted an image of the shooter ringing one of his victims’ doorbells while wearing a mask and wrote, “Nightmare on Waltz Street” – a reference to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D).

“This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way,” Lee wrote in a separate post immediately after the attack. He deleted both posts after sharp criticism from colleagues in both parties who accused him of politicizing a violent crime and national tragedy.

If Trump were to tap Lee, Utah’s governor, Spencer Cox (R), would then pick a replacement until a special election is held. Cox is much more of a moderate than Lee and, at times, has been critical of Trump, of whom Lee is a close ally and booster.

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