Trump goes after ‘RINO’ Murkowski during Alaska rally: ‘She’s worse than a Democrat’

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to replace incorrect information about Alaska’s primary.

Former President Trump used a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday to target Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who is up for reelection in November, asserting that “she’s worse than a Democrat.” 

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 beginning his stump speech. 

“She’s a total creature of the Washington swamp but much worse than that and a tool of a corrupt establishment, the likes of which we’ve never seen. The fake news 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 for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation.

He also slammed her for her vote in favor of bipartisan gun safety legislation passed in the wake of high-profile shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas. 

“This is your precious chance to dump the horrific RINO Senator Lisa Murkowski, who’s worse than a Democrat. She’s worse than a Democrat,” Trump said, using the acronym for “Republican in name only.” 

Trump-endorsed Alaska Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka called Murkowski “Biden’s CEO,” adding that she was his “chief enabling officer.”

Murkowski has drawn Trump’s ire since she voted along with six other Republican senators to convict the former president after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In June 2021, he endorsed Tshibaka, setting up one of the most-watched Senate races in November. 

Trump’s rally comes ahead of the state’s Aug. 16 primary, in which the top four vote-getters will advance to the general election.

The former president also praised former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who is running for the state’s sole House seat and is another of Trump’s endorsees.

“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 more years. Four more years,” Palin said while taking the stage alongside Trump. “And President Trump, you are home.”

Trump also waded into a slew of other topics, including Elon Musk’s decision to terminate his agreement to buy Twitter and the Tesla CEO’s “rotten” contract.

“You know [what] he said the other day? ‘Oh, I’ve never voted for a Republican.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know that.’ He told me he voted for me,” Trump said. Musk has made multiple remarks about his party leanings in recent months, saying in May that he “might never have voted for a Republican” and tweeting last month that he had voted for a Republican for the “first time.”

“So he’s another bullshit artist, but he’s not going to be buying it. He’s not going to be buying it. Although he might later. Who the hell knows what’s going to happen? He’s got a pretty rotten contract,” Trump said.

The comments come after Musk last month tweeted that he had not yet decided who he was backing for president in 2024 but was leaning toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). DeSantis has been rumored to be considering a run for the presidency and could challenge Trump in a GOP primary if both decide to seek the party’s nomination.

Updated on July 10 at 7:28 a.m.