Lisa Murkowski Admits Fear of Trump Retaliation, Calls Congress ‘Unbalanced’
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is facing backlash after admitting to a room of nonprofit leaders that she is afraid to speak her mind under President Donald Trump’s leadership, citing fears of “retaliation” and anxiety about the direction of the federal government.
Speaking during a closed-door session of the Foraker Group’s annual leadership summit in Anchorage, Murkowski shared striking comments about the pressure and uncertainty she feels in the current political climate.
“We are all afraid,” she told the crowd, per Trending Politics. “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been before.”
“And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
The remarks were quickly interpreted as criticism of Trump, with the backlash from conservative voters and political commentators erupting almost immediately.
Murkowski, who isn’t up for reelection until 2028, is no stranger to controversy within the GOP and has faced criticism in the past for siding with Democrats on key votes.
During the 45-minute conversation with Foraker Group CEO Laurie Wolf, Murkowski described a political atmosphere filled with “chaos” and questioned whether congressional leaders are doing enough to restrain executive overreach.
“It’s called the checks and balances. And right now, we are not balancing as the Congress,” she said.
“I think it’s important the concerns continue to be raised rather than letting the fatigue of the chaos grind you down.”
The senator also expressed concern about budget cuts affecting federal programs in Alaska. She pointed to rumored slashes in AmeriCorps and Medicaid funding, warning of their impact on rural communities.
Murkowski said she had reached out to Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to delay cuts to AmeriCorps but was unsure if her plea had reached the White House.
Murkowski labeled some of the president’s executive orders as potentially “unlawful” and acknowledged the difficulty of tracking rapid changes initiated through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“It is as hard as anything I have been engaged in, in the 20-plus years I’ve been in the Senate,” she said, referencing how she and her aides scrambled to confirm changes to federal programs. “It’s literally piecing it together.”
Her skepticism over $880 billion in proposed Medicaid cuts also caught attention.
“I’m not saying you can’t touch Medicaid at all,” she said. “What I hope we’re moving away from is an $880 billion cut to Medicaid. Because if that happens, this is going to be a very, very different state.”
Online, conservative voices were quick to condemn Murkowski’s remarks. Tim Young, a staffer with the Heritage Foundation, blasted her on social media.
“Where was she over the past 4 years when Biden was using lawfare to go after his political opponents?? Oh that’s right, she’s really a Democrat.” he wrote on X.
Others pointed to Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system as the reason Murkowski remains in office, suggesting she no longer reflects the will of conservative Alaskans.
“The retaliation against Murkowski is ‘real’ in large part because she’s too liberal for her constituents,” one user posted.
By Friday, video clips of Murkowski’s emotional comments had gone viral, according to TP, fueling further debate among Republicans who feel the senator has distanced herself from the party’s base.
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