Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has come under fire for sharing an internet meme that compares his Senate colleague Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to the late O.J. Simpson and Spirit Airlines to Nicole Brown Simpson, the former NFL star's ex-wife who was brutally murdered. The post has drawn sharp criticism online, with many calling it deeply offensive and beneath the dignity of a U.S. senator.
Context of the Controversy
Conservatives have long criticized Warren for her efforts to block the merger between Spirit Airlines and JetBlue during the Biden administration. Over the weekend, Spirit Airlines announced its bankruptcy, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The Trump administration had previously considered a takeover of the beleaguered airline. In response to these events, Lee reposted an image from a right-wing X account featuring O.J. Simpson with the words "Elizabeth Warren" over his face, and Nicole Brown Simpson with "Spirit Airlines" over hers. Lee captioned the post, "Nailed it."
The meme was posted on Lee's personal account, "BasedMikeLee," where he frequently shares unfiltered political commentary, rather than his official Senate account. Simpson was acquitted in the 1995 murder trial of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman but was later found civilly liable for their deaths.
Backlash and Criticism
Almost immediately, Lee faced widespread condemnation. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, tweeted, "A murdered mom meme is hysterical, am I right?" Another user questioned, "What the hell is wrong with him? Is it mental illness? He has been continually posting highly offensive and disgusting posts for a while. His behavior is beneath the dignity of a Senator and he is unfit to serve this country. He needs to resign."
This is not the first time Lee has courted controversy with his online activity. In 2023, X suspended @BasedMikeLee after he appeared to threaten the prime minister of Japan over a detained U.S. servicemember. Lee also posted a fake letter claiming to be from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announcing his resignation. In 2025, following the killing of Democratic former Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Lee blamed the shooting on Governor Tim Walz, stating, "This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way." Both Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith condemned Lee, with Smith personally confronting him about the tweets, which he later deleted.
Lee's Political Trajectory
Lee, a Tea Party rabble-rouser who defeated an incumbent Republican in the 2010 wave, initially criticized President Donald Trump in 2016 and endorsed Ted Cruz in the Republican primaries. However, in recent years, he has become a close ally of Trump and has been floated as a potential Supreme Court nominee. Lee often avoids speaking to reporters in the Capitol, preferring to communicate directly with conservatives through right-wing outlets and his social media accounts.
Personal attacks on fellow senators are generally considered a breach of decorum, as seen when Republican senators condemned Cruz for calling then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar in 2015. Lee's actions also stand in contrast to the values of many Utahns, particularly members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who typically prioritize civility over coarse political language. Despite Utah's strong Republican leanings, many residents have an uneasy relationship with Trump.
