Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) on Friday arrogantly shrugged off criticism from Democratic voters and colleagues as she nears the end of her unpopular and controversial first—and likely only—term in the U.S. Senate.
Sinema, who chose not to seek re-election this year, has faced growing backlash from the left for opposing President Biden’s agenda. The criticism intensified after she and Senator Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) blocked the renomination of Lauren McFerran to the National Labor Relations Board, a move that ultimately handed control of the board to Republicans under President Trump.
In an exit interview with Semafor, Sinema shrugged off the criticism, saying she didn’t “give a sh‑‑‑” about it.
“I know some people think I’m, like, this enigma or whatever, but I don’t think that’s true at all,” Sinema said. “I think I’m highly predictable. I’m not someone who says things I don’t mean.”
Sinema, along with Manchin, left the Democratic Party after facing strong criticism for blocking some of President Biden’s key priorities, like efforts to end the filibuster. Many Democrats wanted to remove the filibuster, especially for issues like voting rights and abortion, which Republicans used the filibuster to block.
However, Sinema stood by her position on the filibuster and told Semafor that one unnamed Democratic senator later reached out to admit she was right to protect it.
“One person reached out to me after the election and apologized — and said I was right,” Sinema shared.
Sinema also disagreed with President Biden’s plan to raise corporate taxes but played a key role in passing significant legislation, including bills on infrastructure and gun violence.
In 2022, Sinema officially registered as an independent, saying she didn’t feel she belonged in either political party. She explained her decision at the time: “I don’t want to fit into any party box… I think it’ll provide a place of belonging for many folks who are tired of partisanship.”
After Sinema’s exit, Representative Ruben Gallego (D) will take her seat in the Senate, having defeated Republican Kari Lake in the election. Sinema, however, was reluctant to comment on what kind of senator Gallego would be.
She also chose not to share who she voted for in the presidential election.
In her exit interview, Sinema said she was ready to move on from politics and was “happier” as her time in the Senate came to a close.
