By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO
Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s long-standing position as Alaska’s senior senator should, by now, have made her an unshakable advocate for her state’s prosperity. However, her record tells a different story.
Her antagonism toward former and now President-elect Donald Trump has been so all-consuming that it appears to guide her decision-making, even at the expense of Alaska’s interests.
Nowhere is this more apparent than her potential and likely opposition to critical Trump Administration initiatives and appointees.
As one potential example, Trump has appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Her expected opposition may reveal not just Murkowski’s disdain for Trump, but a glaring hypocrisy that undermines her self-proclaimed advocacy for Alaska.
Empty Rhetoric on Health and Reform
Sen. Murkowski likes to tout her commitment to addressing Alaska’s healthcare challenges, but her actions betray this claim. Not only does she continue to support the genocide of America’s unborn as a matter of moral convenience, but America’s health outcomes are horrifying:
- Estimated 129 million Americans have at least one major chronic disease; 42% of these Americans have two or more chronic conditions with 12% having at least five.
- 40% of school-aged kids have at least one chronic health condition.
- Autism diagnoses have skyrocketed from one in 150 children in 2000 to one in 54 in 2024.
- American life expectancy has declined to 76.4 years (lowest in 20 years).
- One in nine American children are diagnosed with ADHD
- Alaska’s rural communities face significant barriers to healthcare, nutrition care and physical education access.
Despite this, Murkowski may choose to oppose RFK Jr., a nominee who has pledged to tackle systemic corruption in federal health agencies, eradicate chronic diseases, and prioritize evidence-based medicine. His vision aligns with reforms Alaska desperately needs.
This may be more in line with Murkowski’s interest in opposing anything associated with Trump than in supporting initiatives that could benefit her constituents.
The Hypocrisy of Murkowski’s Covid-19 Record
Murkowski’s contradictions are glaring when it comes to her stance on Covid-19. On one hand, she voted to overturn vaccine mandates for private businesses, acknowledging the dangers of federal overreach. On the other, she championed federal health protocols during the pandemic — policies many Alaskans blame for unnecessary suffering and loss of life. Alaska recorded over 1,200 Covid-related deaths, many of which were linked to hospital protocols dictated by federal guidelines.
Her willingness to stand by these protocols, while simultaneously claiming to oppose government intrusion, exposes a troubling inconsistency. This isn’t the behavior of a senator committed to her state’s well-being; it’s the mark of a politician picking and choosing her principles based on political expediency and longevity.
A Loyalty to Bureaucracy Over Alaska
At the heart of DHHS lies a sprawling $1.7 trillion budget and a bloated bureaucracy, including 294 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff members with a collective annual salary of nearly $40 million. These resources could be redirected to address Alaska’s pressing health crises, but under current leadership, they are squandered on ideological initiatives.
RFK Jr.’s implementation of Trump’s pledge to eliminate inefficiencies and focus on reducing chronic disease rates within two years offers a clear path forward.
The Food and Drug Administration, a subagency of DHHS, where Big Ag/Big Pharma/Big Labor feed Americans with chemicals and pesticides that contribute to the America’s health decay, is riddled with corruption.
The National Institutes of Health, another subagency of DHHS, spent $34.9 billion to 59,000 recipients of its total $47.7 billion appropriation in FY 2023 for competing and non-competing grant awards. Many of these government funded projects intentionally are designed to back ideological and social transformation through the use of “science-based” propaganda.
As one example, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability revealed on Nov. 4, is that one of America’s most prominent gender-transition providers, Johanna Olson-Kennedy, recipient of an NIH $9.7 million grant to an ongoing research project, has intentionally not published the results of her “multimillion-dollar federal project” on puberty blockers in minors — because she found that “puberty blockers did not lead to mental health improvements.”
Olson-Kennedy “was concerned the study’s results could be used in court to argue that ‘we shouldn’t use blockers’” in minors.
Murkowski’s potential rejection of RFK’s nomination reveals her loyalty, not to Alaska, but to the Washington establishment, Big Pharma, Big Labor and the rest of the Big Cronies who have made Washington DC the cesspool it is today.
Her potential opposition is a product of her irrational hatred for Trump and anyone associated with him. This vendetta blinds her to opportunities for reform that could directly benefit her state.
The Cost of Personal Vendettas
Murkowski’s disdain for Trump has led her to consistently prioritize personal grievances over Alaska’s needs. She could dismiss RFK Jr. as unsuitable, despite his clear alignment with conservative values of reducing waste, eliminating corruption, and prioritizing the public good. Her decision may also mirror her earlier dismissal of other Trump appointees, such as Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, as “not serious” — a critique grounded more in personal animosity than in substantive evaluation.
Additional evidence of her hatred for Trump can clearly be observed during Trump’s first administration where she was a true embarrassment to Alaskans.
Her behavior underscores a dangerous pattern: Murkowski places political feuds above her duty to represent Alaska and her oath of office. Her choices hinder reforms that could address the chronic diseases plaguing Alaska’s children and reverse the state’s declining health outcomes.
Alaska Deserves Better
Lisa Murkowski’s actions paint an ugly portrait of a U.S. senator more invested in unreasonably and smugly opposing Trump than in delivering results for Alaska and America. Her rhetoric about supporting the state’s health and prosperity is empty, as may be evidenced by her future opposition to RFK Jr. and other reform-oriented nominees. Alaska faces real challenges, such as declining life expectancy, rising chronic illness, and systemic barriers to healthcare. Its children deserve a senator who prioritizes their future over political vendettas, not a senator who puts personal grudges over improving and saving the lives of Alaskans.
Murkowski’s hypocrisy isn’t just frustrating, it’s irreparably harmful. Her resistance to change keeps Alaska trapped under the weight of federal inefficiencies and bureaucratic overreach. If she truly cared about Alaska’s future, she would set aside her personal grievances and embrace the reforms with genuine constructive discernment that could secure a brighter, healthier future for the state.
We’ve had the unique pleasure of observing Murkowski perform her political theater over the course of the Trump administration, and what a show it has been! Her histrionics against the former president were nothing short of Broadway-worthy, a combination of sanctimonious indignation and procedural stonewalling. Yet, for all her dramatic flair, where are the results for Alaska? Spoiler alert: They’re nowhere to be found.
In the years since she became a prominent voice of “principled opposition” (read: unbridled Trump hatred), Alaska hasn’t exactly blossomed under her leadership.
Natural resource development? Stalled. Healthcare reform? A mess. Advocacy for Alaskan families and children? Lukewarm at best. But at least she’s consistently been there to “resist”, whatever that means, while federal overreach and bureaucratic bloat chug along unimpeded.
It seems Murkowski has mastered the art of throwing tantrums while avoiding responsibility. And sure, she claims to champion Alaska’s interests, but the receipts tell a different story. Instead of using her seniority to secure tangible benefits for her constituents, she’s spent years waging ideological battles that produce a lot of noise but very little impact.
Perhaps it’s time for Alaska’s senior senator to do some soul-searching. Grow up. Step into the adult world. Maybe even try something revolutionary, like focusing on results instead of rhetorical doublespeak. After all, Alaskans deserve better than a full-time embarrassment who moonlights as a senator.
Michael Tavoliero is a senior writer at Must Read Alaska.
Well we all know why we hate her, If she truly cared about Alaska’s future She would go away and never return
True Alaskans please help me vote her out. Alaska deserves Way better Than, Lisa is giving us.
Let’s make a real push and get rid of her this next election cycle.