In 2016, Sen. Dan Sullivan didn’t hesitate to say what he thought about Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s re-election campaign.

“I’m supporting Sen. Murkowski. Look, she’s the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She's one of the most important, powerful people in the country on energy issues that impact our state. And I think she's doing a very good job on that," he told reporters in Juneau after speaking to the Legislature. “I work very closely with her and Don Young on a whole host of issues. And I'm supporting all the incumbent Republican senators."

But the politics of 2022 are not what they were in 2016 for Sullivan or Murkowski.

Sullivan doesn’t want to talk about Murkowski and why he supports her, except to say he supports all incumbent Republican senators.

Asked in Juneau Tuesday about backing Murkowski, he said: “I came out about a year ago saying I was supporting Sen. Murkowski—I’m supporting all Republican incumbents. To me, gaining the Senate back is critical, if not even more critical than gaining the House back.”

That’s all he said about his backing of Murkowski, who supported him in 2014 and 2020.

Sullivan refused to answer a question at the Juneau press conference about the impact of former President Trump’s endorsement of Murkowski challenger Kelly Tshibaka or Trump’s endorsement of Sarah Palin.

“I think it’s gonna be hard to tell until those elections start to happen,” Sullivan said.

What’s not hard to tell is that Sullivan wants to claim that he is supporting Murkowski without supporting Murkowski.

He hasn’t disputed any of the lies told about Murkowski by Tshibaka. He hasn’t disputed any of the lies told about Murkowski by former President Trump or condemned the steady stream of insults aimed at Murkowski.

When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Murkowski “pro-pedophile,” what did Sullivan say? Nothing.

When Trump called Murkowski a “disloyal and very bad senator,” what did Sullivan say? Nothing.

When Trump said Murkowski "represents her state badly and her country even worse,” what did Sullivan say? Nothing.

What Tshibaka said Murkowski is “owned by special interests” and is responsible for Deb Haaland being Interior Secretary, what did Sullivan say? Nothing.

Unlike complaining about President Biden, which has been Sullivan’s go-to move since Trump’s loss, talking about Murkowski is not part of his safe space, so he keeps his mouth shut. His silence is political cowardice.

As the former head of the Pebble Mine project put it about Sullivan in another context, “He’s gonna try to ride out the election and remain quiet.”

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