Trump's still desperately trying to remain relevant and keep his hold over the Republican party, but as CNN's Paul Begala rightfully noted, Trump's as likely to be successful with this move "as the captain of the Exxon Valdez back in the 90s."
We'll see if Trump actually makes his way up to Alaska. I wouldn't recommend anyone holding their breath. From Politico: Trump vows to campaign against 'disloyal' Murkowski:
Former President Donald Trump is making official his plans to target Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, vowing to travel to Alaska to campaign against her ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
In a statement to POLITICO on Saturday, Trump said: “I will not be endorsing, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great State of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski. She represents her state badly and her country even worse. I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be — in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.”
Murkowski, who has held her seat since 2002, has been a longtime critic of the former president and was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict him in last month’s impeachment trial. She is the only one of the seven to face reelection in 2022.
A Murkowski spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
CNN's Doug Heye and Paul Begala were not impressed with the threat:
HEYE: Two words, not good. It demonstrates that Donald Trump will be a thorn in the side of any Republican who is not loyal to him. And what shocker, we have seen that play out four years. But it's going to be a very difficult in circumstance for him in Alaska.
Again, if you go back to 2010, Lisa Murkowski was shocked to have lost her primary. And what did she do? She came back and won as a write-in.
And I'll tell you, Murkowski it's not necessarily -- it's a legendary name in Alaska, not the easiest name to spell if you are writing it in. She won as a write-in. That is a really, really tough task to do. And in an open primary with multiple people, it's going to be tough sailing for whomever Trump supports in that race.
BROWN: What do you think, Paul?
BEGALA: Yes, I think Doug is exactly right. I spent a lot of time in Alaska. I think Trump will be about as successful as the captain of the Exxon Valdez back in the 90s. He's going wreck out there.
Senator Murkowski is a really impressive politician. She just did something really, really smart. She supported Deb Haaland, now the secretary of interior to be the secretary of interior, a vitally important job in Alaska. And Congresswoman, soon-to-be-Secretary Haaland will be the first Native American when Native Americans are usually Democratic constituency. In Alaska, they rallied to Lisa Murkowski in 2010. Doug is exactly right. They wrote in her name.
So she did a very, very smart thing in listening to her Native American, Native Alaskan constituents up there. She is a very good politician.
