Special Poll
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski declared on a recent Saturday that if former President Donald Trump were to secure the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race, she would not cast her vote for him. However, this stance does not imply that she would support President Joe Biden either.
Speaking to NBC News via telephone, Murkowski stated unequivocally, “I could not vote for Trump; I can’t vote for Biden.”
Murkowski, expressing support for those seeking an alternative, encouraged them not to give up on Nikki Haley’s underdog campaign for the Republican nomination. “I want to encourage everyone who believes that America is better than just a re-run of what we experienced in 2020,” she said as Alaska approached its Super Tuesday primary, which came just one day after she publicly endorsed Haley. Murkowski is adamant about not conceding defeat, saying, “I don’t want to see that white flag raised.”
When asked to elaborate, Murkowski praised Haley, saying, “It’s not just a situation where Nikki is the lesser of two evils. She is a qualified, competent, capable leader at a time when the country needs them. I refuse to accept that [Trump and Biden are] my only two choices.”
Murkowski, alongside Senator Susan Collins of Maine, another known critic of Trump within the Senate, endorsed Haley. Murkowski has been open about her decision not to vote for Trump in the 2020 election and voted to convict him on impeachment charges following the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Although Trump was acquitted and subsequently supported a primary challenger against Murkowski in 2022, his effort was unsuccessful.
With Murkowski now endorsing Haley, there’s increasing speculation about Haley’s ability to continue in the race given her current track record in the primaries. Murkowski mentioned that if Haley were to withdraw, she, along with others, would be at a crossroads regarding their choice in the 2024 election, emphasizing that she is not alone in her search for an alternative.