Senator Lisa Murkowski sharply criticized President Trump for making up claims against former President Obama, saying it looks like a tactic to distract from problems around Jeffrey Epstein’s investigation.
“Obviously, this is new language. Words like treason are big words, right?” Murkowski said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday. She added, “It does cause one to wonder if this is an effort by folks in the administration to have the conversation, move on to something else, other than the Epstein matter, move on to something else, another, somebody other than President Trump so let’s go back to prior presidents.”
Murkowski questioned whether Trump’s accusations are simply a way to shift focus away from the growing backlash over his administration’s refusal to release more Epstein-related documents. When asked if the claims are a “distraction technique,” she said, “Based on the timing of all of this, it does kind of cause you to question.”
For weeks, Trump has faced criticism for not opening up more files tied to the Epstein case. Murkowski urged transparency, telling CNN, “Just deal with the Epstein thing once and for all.” She added, “I think if they had done it earlier on and moved on to other things, maybe we wouldn’t be in this place where everyone is now thinking about, you know, what’s the next big conspiracy behind all this.”
The latest attacks on Obama came after Trump accused him of treason related to the 2016 election interference by Russia. Soon after, Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, released a sensitive congressional report she claimed exposed more proof of a “treasonous conspiracy.”
Obama’s team quickly dismissed the charges. “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” said spokesman Patrick Rodenbush.
Meanwhile, a House Oversight subcommittee voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for the Epstein documents, as pressure mounts to get answers.
Watch Murkowski’s interview in the report below:
