Who is Lisa Murkowski? Republican 'disaster' senator who voted to limit Trump’s military action in Venezuela

US senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has once again found herself at odds with President Donald Trump, this time over a war powers resolution that would limit the president’s ability to carry out further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval.

Murkowski was among five Republican senators who voted to support the measure, a move that prompted sharp criticism from Trump during a recent speech in Michigan.




Along with Murkowski, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Todd Young of Indiana, and Josh Hawley of Missouri supported the resolution, which is intended to reinforce Congress’ constitutional role in authorising the use of military force.

Murkowski was also part of a bipartisan group of senators who met Wednesday with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland with an aim to reassure them that the US would not pursue a military action against Greenland, an assurance they said had not come from the White House.

Trump singled out Murkowski by name, calling her and the others “disasters” and “real losers,” and later personally called the senators to berate them over their votes.

"Then you have Lisa Murkowski, and you have Susan Collins, disasters. And you had a gentleman from Indiana that I don't believe that Todd Young. He voted against, and you'd say, why are you voting against? They can't give you an answer," he said.

Murkowski has defended her position, saying she supports the initial military operation in Venezuela but wants to ensure it does not escalate into a prolonged war.

Who is Lisa Murkowski?

Lisa Ann Murkowski is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Alaska, a position she has held since 2002.

Murkowski is the daughter of former US senator and Alaska governor Frank Murkowski, and she is also the first woman to represent Alaska in the US Senate. She is currently the Senate’s second-most senior Republican woman, after Susan Collins of Maine.

She was appointed to the Senate by her father in 2002 after he resigned his seat to become governor, becoming the first Alaskan-born member of Congress. She went on to complete her father’s unexpired Senate term, which ended in January 2005.

She has built a reputation as an independent-minded Republican willing to break with her party’s leadership.

In 2021, Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump of incitement of insurrection during his second impeachment trial, a vote that led the Alaska Republican Party to censure her.

Murkowski is currently in the news for pushing back against President Trump’s efforts to expand executive military authority in Venezuela and for challenging his rhetoric on Greenland. Trump has repeatedly said the US must take control of Greenland for what he describes as strategic purposes.