US senator Lisa Murkowski says she is struggling to decide whether she can support President Donald Trump's re-election bid, saying criticism of Trump's response to nationwide protests by former defence chief Jim Mattis rang true.
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Asked if she supported fellow Republican Trump, who faces the nation's voters again in November, Murkowski said: "I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time."
"He is our duly elected president. I will continue to work with him ... but I think right now as we are all struggling to find ways to express the words that need to be expressed appropriately," Murkowski told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
Murkowski, who did not support Trump in 2016, praised the comments by former Pentagon chief Mattis, who accused Trump on Wednesday of trying to divide America and roundly denounced a militarisation of the US response to civil unrest.
"I was really thankful. I thought General Mattis' words were true and honest and necessary and overdue," Murkowski said.
In broadside on Twitter, Trump said he would campaign for anyone who opposes Murkowski in her 2022 re-election bid. "Get any candidate ready, good or bad, I don't care, I'm endorsing. If you have a pulse, I'm with you!" Trump said.
Another Republican, senator Mitt Romney, also praised Mattis, saying his words were "stunning and powerful".
But while several other Republican senators said they respected Mattis, they shrugged at his criticisms.
The retired Marine general was Trump's first defence secretary but resigned over policy differences in 2018.
Republican senator Lindsey Graham acknowledged that Trump "can be a handful" and can "do better" but said Trump had been unfairly targeted throughout his presidency and dismissed Mattis' rebuke.
Australian Associated Press