Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has faced sharp criticism online for sharing an internet meme that compares his colleague Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to O.J. Simpson and Spirit Airlines to Nicole Brown Simpson, the brutally murdered ex-wife of the late NFL star. The post has been widely condemned as insensitive and beneath the dignity of a U.S. senator.
Background of the controversy
Conservatives have criticised Warren for her role in blocking the merger between Spirit Airlines and JetBlue during the Biden administration. Spirit Airlines announced its bankruptcy over the weekend, leaving thousands of passengers scrambling. The Trump administration had reportedly considered a takeover of the beleaguered airline.
In response, Lee reposted an image from a right-wing X account featuring O.J. Simpson, who was tried but acquitted of murdering his estranged wife, with text over his face reading “Elizabeth Warren,” and Nicole Brown Simpson labelled as “Spirit Airlines.” Lee added the caption: “Nailed it.” The post was shared on his personal “BasedMikeLee” account, where he frequently offers commentary on political matters.
Simpson trial context
O.J. Simpson stood trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in a high-profile and racially divisive case in 1995. He was acquitted of criminal charges but later found civilly liable for both deaths.
Reaction to the meme
Almost immediately, Lee faced criticism from various quarters. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, tweeted: “A murdered mom meme is hysterical, am I right?” Another user questioned: “Mike Lee is a US Senator. 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 behaviour is beneath the dignity of a Senator and he is unfit to serve this country. He needs to resign.”
Previous controversies
This is not the first time Lee has come under fire for his tweets promoting conspiracy theories. In 2023, X suspended @BasedMikeLee after he appeared to threaten the prime minister of Japan regarding a detained U.S. servicemember. He also posted a fake letter claiming to be from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell tendering his resignation. In 2025, after 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.” That prompted condemnation from both of Minnesota’s senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, with Smith personally confronting Lee about his tweets, which he eventually deleted.
Political background
Long a Tea Party rabble-rouser who beat an incumbent Republican in the 2010 wave, Lee initially criticised President Donald Trump in 2016 and endorsed Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the Republican presidential primary. However, in recent years, he has been floated as a potential Supreme Court Justice nominee and has become much friendlier to Trump. Lee also avoids speaking to reporters in the Capitol hallways, often preferring to communicate only with right-wing outlets or directly to conservatives on his account.
Personally attacking a fellow senator in this manner has long been considered a breach of decorum. Republican senators condemned Cruz in 2015 for calling then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar. Lee hails from Utah, where many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints tend to value civility over coarse political language. Despite the state being overwhelmingly Republican, many residents have an uneasy relationship with President Trump.
