GOP Sen. Mike Lee doesn’t rule out supporting Trump but has questions about Jan. 6th

Sen. Mike Lee joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his new book, “Saving Nine: The Fight Against the Left's Audacious Plan to Pack the Supreme Court and Destroy American Liberty,” as well as his role in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election. The Utah Republican, who ultimately voted to certify the election results, defends his text message exchanges with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the weeks before January 6th and expresses his disappointment in Trump’s inaction during the violence that day. Lee, a former clerk for Justice Samuel Alito, also explains why he fears Democrats are moving toward expanding the Supreme Court, despite White House denials, and why he believes doing so could cause lasting damage to the country. Lee is up for re-election this fall in a race against independent candidate Evan McMullin, with some polls showing McMullin within striking distance for the Utah Senate seat. He pushes back against McMullin’s criticism of Republicans for refusing to consider Merrick Garland for a Supreme Court seat in 2016. He also discusses the ramifications of the leak of the Dobbs decision, fading public confidence in the Supreme Court, and whose interpretation of the Constitution was correct on January 6th: Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Fairweather Foundation, Asness Family Foundation, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, and The Marc Haas Foundation.