President Trump lashed out at Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Saturday, just hours after the Senate approved his attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, brushing off her concerns that he may be unable to restrain the administration’s “worst impulses.”
In a series of three posts targeting Murkowski, Trump made clear his anger has not faded toward the Alaska Republican, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and voted to convict him in his second impeachment trial in 2021.
One post he amplified went so far as to label her a “traitor.”
Blanche was confirmed by the Senate in the early hours of Saturday.
Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who faces voters in November, were the only Republicans to oppose the nomination.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), another Republican who has frequently drawn Trump’s criticism, cast the key vote that helped secure Blanche’s confirmation.
Trump also shared a clip of former Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland saying he “personally approved” the decision to authorize the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, a move that has long enraged the president.
The post appeared intended to underscore Murkowski’s support for Garland, while highlighting her refusal to back Blanche, Trump’s former personal attorney who defended him in both the New York hush money case and the classified documents case.
Murkowski’s opposition, which she announced Friday morning, might have derailed Blanche, who now serves as acting AG.
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski said in a statement. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”
“The politicization—even weaponization—of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” said Murkowski.
But Cassidy, who was defeated in his primary this summer after failing to get the president’s endorsement, announced in a dramatic floor speech Friday that he would vote for Blanche.
In his speech, Cassidy said he was “concerned about episodes of apparent lawfare” and raised issues with the scrapped $1.8 billion “slush fund” to pay victims of “weaponization.”
Blanche signed the settlement that established it but says it won’t go forward.
He also signed an agreement that gave Trump, his children and his business immunity from the government for past tax actions. Both came when Trump withdrew his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.
But Cassidy said “even critics admit that Mr. Blanche knows the law and is a hands-on administrator,” and cited his work with US attorneys in his state.
Trump also reposted a missive by a user identified as “C3,” who pointed out Murkowski’s different stances on Garland and Blanche. “Murkowski is owned. Traitor,” it said.
The user’s profile page shows an image of Trump speaking before Air Force One, and has posts defending Elon Musk, accusing Ukraine of corruption, and defending fired former Trump National Security Advisor Mike Flynn.
