'Inciting Racial Conflict and Military Deployment for Protests'... Even Within the Republican Party, Voices Criticizing Trump Emerge

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[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Even within the US Republican Party, skeptical voices have emerged regarding whether to support President Donald Trump in the next presidential election. Concerns have been raised both inside and outside the Republican Party over a series of responses shown by President Trump related to the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after being pinned under the knee of a white police officer.

According to US media on the 4th (local time), Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), a member of the Republican Party, said in a meeting with reporters that when asked "Will you support President Trump in the next presidential election?" she replied, "I am struggling."

It is extremely rare for a major politician of the ruling party to openly criticize a sitting president running for re-election at a time close to the presidential election.

Senator Murkowski is known for her moderate stance but has occasionally expressed skepticism regarding President Trump. For example, when the Republican leadership announced full cooperation plans with the White House regarding impeachment, she said she was "disappointed" and mentioned that "proper procedures must be followed."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

She particularly commented on former Secretary of Defense James Mattis's statement, saying it was "appropriate and necessary" but also "a bit late." Former Secretary Mattis, who is known to be highly respected in both the military and political circles, criticized President Trump’s plan to deploy military forces against citizens protesting Floyd’s death in a statement released the day before. Mattis said, "President Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people?and frankly, does not even pretend to try."

President Trump has emphasized that he has the support of Republicans, citing the unity of Republican lawmakers during impeachment votes. However, he is concerned about the emergence of critical voices within the Republican Party just five months before the election. In response, President Trump launched a counterattack, vowing to campaign against Senator Murkowski’s re-election. He stated on Twitter, "Two years from now, Senator Murkowski will have to run for election in Alaska," and added, "Whether good or bad, I will support anyone who runs against Murkowski."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.