Mike Lee branded 'hypocrite' as 2016 video slamming Trump comes back to haunt senator amid 2024 endorsement

WASHINGTON, DC: A resurfaced video featuring Sen Mike Lee criticizing former President Donald Trump circulated online just a day after the Senator "wholeheartedly" announced his endorsement for the latter's 2024 White House run.

An anti-Trump page on X named 'Republicans against Trump' posted a 29-second long clip of a 2016 video of the Senator from Utah slamming the way the GOP frontrunner spoke to women.

Lee announced his support for Trump's second presidential bid on January 12 during an appearance on Fox News 'The Ingraham Angle' show by urging the voters to "choose order over chaos and putting America first over America last."

What did Mike Lee say in the resurfaced video?

According to a 2016 report by The Washington Post, Lee's remarks are from a Facebook live from his home in Utah in October of the same year, weeks before the 2016 presidential election won by Trump.

Slamming the former President's use of vile language against women, the Senator said, "It's occurred to me on countless occasions today that if anyone spoke to my wife or my daughter or my mother or any of my five sisters the way Mr Trump has spoken to women, I wouldn't hire that person."

"I wouldn't hire that person, wouldn't want to be associated with that person. And I certainly don't think I'd feel comfortable hiring that person to be the leader of the free world," he added.

Nevertheless, in his 2024 presidential race, Trump has secured endorsements from 21 GOP senators, including Lee.

Additionally, all top five members of House GOP leadership, including Majority Whip Tom Emmer, endorsed the White House hopeful's 2024 bid.

Leading the Republican primary polls with a strong dominance, Trump will kick start his election year with the January 15 Iowa caucus, hoping for a potential rematch with President Joe Biden in November.

Internet reacts to Mike Lee's U-turn

Netizens slammed and ridiculed the Utah Senator for being a hypocrite after the old video resurfaced.

One user remarked, "Mike Lee is a scared hypocrite."

Another wrote, "Mike Lee is a coward!!!" 

A third user added, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

"Another one showing his true colors ! Mike …we don’t pick our leaders based on your hypothetical ramblings ..beat it!" a fourth stated.

One reaction read, "He bent the knee, pathetic." Another wrote, "Jumped on the wagon, like they all did."

"Weak men are easy to turn, is all I can say about this. He doesn't care about a single one of his female family members. That much is clear," someone else remarked.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.