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🏛️ FNF News | U.S. Politics & Power
Published: June 16, 2025
By: Khadija Khan, Senior Political Correspondent
“Senator Mike Lee Faces MAGA Backlash After Remarks Spark Deep State Speculation”
Washington, D.C. – Utah Senator Mike Lee, a well-known constitutional conservative, has sparked a wildfire of suspicion and backlash from the pro-Trump right following remarks seen as critical of continued investigations into the 2020 election. In a closed-door Judiciary Committee session, Lee allegedly urged colleagues to “move on” from election fraud claims — a position many Trump loyalists interpreted as “deep state signaling.”
The incident, initially leaked by conservative outlet The Federal Signal, has mushroomed into a full-blown political scandal within right-wing circles, with #LeeIsDeepState trending across Truth Social and PatriotWire. What might have once been dismissed as a tempest in a teapot now seems to reflect a broader fracture in the MAGA-era Republican Party.
From Tea Party Icon to Traitor?
Senator Mike Lee’s career began with Tea Party credibility and grassroots libertarian appeal. A champion of limited government and constitutionalism, he was once celebrated on Fox News as “The Senate’s Founding Father.” But that legacy is now being called into question.
His reluctance to embrace Donald Trump fully in 2016, paired with a constitutional critique of Trump’s emergency border wall funding in 2019, planted seeds of distrust. Despite voting with Trump over 85% of the time and vocally opposing impeachment, Lee is now being cast by some as a “RINO in robes.”
“He was never really MAGA,” posted Jason Stroud, editor of the populist blog RedTorch. “He just played the part while undermining it from inside the gates.”
Trump Allies Circle
While Trump himself has remained silent, high-profile MAGA figures have issued thinly veiled warnings.
“We remember who stood with the People in 2020 and who didn’t,” tweeted Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. “The Republican Party doesn’t have room for fence-sitters anymore.”
Others were more direct. Sebastian Gorka, former Trump adviser, called Lee a “legal technocrat” more comfortable in elite courtrooms than at rallies in Ohio.
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon accused Lee of “political betrayal” and featured the senator in a segment of his War Room podcast titled, “The Utah Swamp Exposed.”
Online Echo Chamber: Trial by Meme
The backlash reached absurd levels as memes began circulating depicting Mike Lee in FBI gear, attending Bilderberg meetings, or sipping wine with Liz Cheney. One viral meme dubbed him “The Founding Father of Fraud.”
Prominent MAGA influencers have gone so far as to accuse Lee of being a CIA sleeper or “plant” whose goal was to subtly sabotage Trump-era legal strategies.
“When Mike Lee says ‘move on,’ what he means is: ‘move over and make room for globalists,’” posted LibertyLad69, an anonymous Twitter/X account with over 500k followers.
Utah in the Crosshairs
Lee, up for re-election in 2026, now faces an aggressive backlash at home. Multiple MAGA-aligned groups are reportedly seeking a primary challenger.
Utah State Representative Jessica Connors, a former beauty queen turned populist firebrand, is rumored to be preparing a campaign. In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), she wrote:
“Utah deserves a fighter, not a footnote. If Mike Lee won’t defend President Trump and election truth, I will.”
Political strategists expect Connors to receive financial backing from national PACs aligned with Trump, including Save America Action and Truth PAC.
Senator Lee Responds (Carefully)
Lee’s office released a carefully worded statement Monday evening:
“Senator Lee remains committed to the rule of law, election security, and constitutional governance. The time has come to focus on solutions, not slogans.”
That message, though measured, was viewed by some Trump supporters as evasive. Others praised Lee for refusing to bend to what they call “mob politics.”
“Mike Lee doesn’t bow to loud voices,” tweeted former RNC legal counsel Jennifer Crouch. “He bows to the Constitution.”
A Symbol of GOP’s Identity Crisis
Lee’s sudden fall from grace isn’t just about one senator; it’s a symptom of a broader existential struggle inside the Republican Party.
With Trump now the presumptive 2028 nominee, the MAGA movement demands total loyalty. There is little room for nuance, legalistic analysis, or appeals to institutional conservatism. If Mike Lee, long seen as a constitutional compass, can be painted as Deep State, no one is safe.
“This isn’t conservatism anymore,” warned Dr. Karen Holt, a political science professor at Georgetown University. “It’s tribal absolutism. You’re either at the rally or in the gulag.”
Conclusion: Mike Lee’s Tipping Point
Senator Lee’s momentary comment might have sparked a Twitter frenzy, but it has also ignited deeper questions about the soul of American conservatism. Will the Republican Party continue evolving into a Trump-first coalition where constitutionalism takes a backseat? Or is there still room for measured voices like Mike Lee?
For now, one thing is clear: in the modern GOP, even loyalty has an expiration date.
Sources:
- The Federal Signal – “Lee Shuts Down 2020 Probe Talk” (June 16, 2025)
- Truth Social trends (#LeeIsDeepState)
- Statements from Rep. Jessica Connors, Truth PAC
- Fox News archive interviews (2016–2024)
- Georgetown University Political Institute commentary
- Interview with Dr. Karen Holt, Georgetown (June 16, 2025)
- FiveThirtyEight Congressional Vote Tracker