Top Dem Has Had Enough, She’s Out

The Democrats were left stunned and angry over the weekend as Krysten Sinema announced a sudden exit from the party on Friday, lowering the Democrats’ majority in the senate to only one more seat than their Republicans counterparts.

Sinema, who became a Democrat Senator from Arizona in 2019, posted a video to Twitter on Friday morning announcing her departure from the Democratic Party and changing her political status to Independent. In the video, Sinema stated that registering as an Independent was a reflection of what she had always been and “who Arizona is”:

In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/jUQHAeuxym

— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 9, 2022

In a column published in AZCentral on Friday, Sinema stated that changing her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent does not change her work in the U.S Senate. She wrote:

“Becoming an independent won’t change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same.”

Sinema’s column also implies that she won’t stop supporting abortion rights for women, LGBTQ rights, and for “dreamers” to remain in America – all Democrat causes. Yet, the assurances weren’t enough for Democrat voters who lashed out at Sinema on Twitter. Some of the thousands of angry replies read:

Who bought you? Now you’re going to be an “independent”? That’s your way of backing GOP and not being as obvious about it. You’re a Grifter. 

You are a liar you are a fake. Give back all the donations you got from any Democrat.

Arizona should recall you. You are a fraud. You lied to your voters.

Some liberals posted Kristen Sinema for Sale memes in the comments. 

And while Democrats continue to slam Sinema for parting ways with their party, Republicans welcomed her decision. Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming hailed Sinema’s departure from the Democratic Party in a statement to Breitbart. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas also welcomed the move by Senator Sinema and slammed the Democrats:

“The Democrats, let’s just say, don’t have that degree of diverse viewpoints and don’t welcome people who dissent from their party line.”

With Sinema’s status switched to Independent, the Democrats have officially been left with a 50–49 majority over Republicans in the Senate. This scenario has sparked calls from conservatives for the other centrist Democrat Senator, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, to follow Sinema and bid farewell to the Democratic Party. Manchin’s Twitter post about his support for Veterans Affairs benefits received many comments from conservatives urging him to switch to the Republican Party. Fox News on Friday, however, cited some political strategists familiar with West Virginia politics who agree that there is little chance of Manchin leaving his party.