Here Is Senator Mike Lee's Personal Twitter Account
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) quietly started a personal Twitter account last month. Meet "Based Mike Lee." (Photo: Tom Williams/Getty Images)
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) appears to have found a place on social media where he can truly be himself, which, honestly, isn’t really all that different from how he is otherwise.
Last month, the Twitter account Based Mike Lee quietly popped up.
If you were unsure whether it’s him, it has an old picture of Lee. The bio says, “I’m a U.S. senator from Utah,” and it’s clearly not the account of Sen. Mitt Romney, the other senator from Utah. (Also, Romney’s secret Twitter account was already outed in 2019, and it was not called Based Mike Lee.)
The Salt Lake Tribune recently reported a source close to Lee said it is his personal Twitter account, which the senator’s office confirmed to HuffPost Wednesday.
“Based” is internet slang. It’s the opposite of “woke” and a point of pride for conservatives. But Lee doesn’t really deviate from his public persona, and the account isn’t very spicy. He still likes talking about the law, but he tries a bit harder (too hard?) to make jokes and sound cool, even pulling out the “deal with it” meme from the last decade.
The haters can’t handle this frickin’ smoke
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 24, 2022
This account is no cap — bussin, forreal forreal https://t.co/sMJDQ4yiRS
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 24, 2022
#NewProfilePicpic.twitter.com/bh5hqsBlcT
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 24, 2022
He seems to have a beef with Prince Harry since he spoke out about abortion.
Regardless, I didn’t know the Duke of Sussex was so learned on matters of substantive due process and the incorporation doctrine. Nor do I understand how allowing questions of public policy to be decided by democratically elected lawmakers is “an assault on democracy.”
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 24, 2022
He even throws shade on his fellow senators.
I’m taller than @RandPaul.
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 24, 2022
And he goes after every Republican’s favorite target, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
I’m free to tweet whatever I want. My hands are not tied. Just like @aoc in imaginary handcuffs
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 24, 2022
Plenty of lawmakers have separate campaign and congressional accounts, but Lee’s account appears to be less official ― although it’s not like he tried to hide that it’s him, what with the name, bio, photo and the thread of his tweets, where he outlined his credentials: “As a lawyer, former federal prosecutor, and current member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have a few questions about the FBI’s raid of Mar a Lago.”
As of writing, Lee follows 75 people, most of whom are conservatives, people in Utah or conservatives in Utah. They include Republican Utah state House Speaker Brad Wilson (his first follow!), Sean Hannity, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his opponent Evan McMullin. No follow for Romney though. Ouch.
Based Mike Lee does occasionally tangle with McMullin.
I’m feeling great, thanks. I’d be worried if I had celebrated what could turn out to be a breathtaking abuse of power by the FBI for political purposes. https://t.co/pB7ofIWU3n
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) August 9, 2022
How would @EvanMcMullin — who has been endorsed by the Democratic Party — vote on the Democrats’ Inflation Enhancement Act? #WWMD (“what would McMullin do?”).
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) August 6, 2022
Romney has stayed neutral in the Senate race between Lee and McMullin, who is running as an independent. McMullin has been deeply critical of former President Donald Trump and is trying to cobble together a coalition of other anti-Trump Republicans, independents and Democrats in order to win. The result is one of Utah’s most competitive Senate races in decades.
Welcome to Twitter, Sen. Lee!
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.