Chuck Todd

Certainly, she had done she had taken a while to confirm that she was running for reelection.

There was starting to become some growing concern in some Republican circles that the the.

the entire national electoral atmosphere was getting to her.

Look, did she want to run in what is the most uphill race she's ever had to run, right?

She's never been simultaneously unpopular with Republicans and unpopular with Democrats.

She certainly has made some conservatives angry in the days, but it's usually come, the loss of that vote has come with the gain of votes of center or even center left voters in the state of Maine.

But since her Kavanaugh,

uh, since, since her Kavanaugh support and a few other things, she is in some ways, you know, used to be Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.

It was almost, they were interchangeable.

They're not so interchangeable anymore.

I think Lisa Murkowski really is more of a political independent than a partisan.

Um, I think she almost says it herself.

She coxes with the Republicans cause that's where she's caucus.

You know, one of the more intriguing, um,

potential post-election storylines, I think, of 2026 is if Democrats net three seats and it's a 50-50 Senate with J.D.

Vance breaking the tie.

I promise you before that Senate is sworn in, Chuck Schumer and other Democrats are going to be

All over Lisa Murkowski to see if they can get her to switch parties.

So, you know, there's always been a small part of me that thinks the Democrats actually have to need three Senate seats, get to 50-50.

Then at that point, they might be able to convince Lisa Murkowski to hand power over to the Democrats.