Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah at a hearing on January 24, 2023.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
Twitter has suspended “BasedMikeLee,” Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah’s personal account.
It was unclear why the suspension occurred, and Lee said no explanation has been given.
It came after he issued a series of tweets directed at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah’s personal Twitter account was suspended on Wednesday.
“My personal Twitter account – @BasedMikeLee – has been suspended,” the senator wrote on his official Twitter account, saying the company “did not alert me ahead of time, nor have they yet offered an explanation for the suspension. My team and I are seeking answers.”
It was not immediately clear why the suspension had occurred.
—Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) March 1, 2023
Lee has used the account since August 2022 to sound off on political events in a more informal way than is typical of politicians — particularly senators — on the popular social media site.
“The haters can’t handle this frickin’ smoke,” Lee declared in a July 24th tweet that isn’t currently available.
“This account is no cap — bussin, forreal forreal,” Lee tweeted that same day.
“Based” is a slang term particularly popular among the online right that generally means not caring what others may think.
Hours before Lee’s suspension, the Utah senator used the account to tweet at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, urging him to release Lt. Ridge Alkonis. The US Navy lieutenant’s three-year prison sentence in Japan, stemming from his involvement in a deadly traffic accident in 2021, has caused tensions between the US and Japan.
“Hand Lt. Alkonis over to U.S. custody immediately,” Lee declared in one tweet.
“If you don’t hand him over in the next seven hours, a series of conversations will begin tomorrow to inform Americans of how poorly you’re treating our military personnel—not just Ridge Alkonis, but all 55,000 U.S. forces in Japan,” he later tweeted.
After a midnight deadline previously set by Lee passed early Wednesday morning, Lee tweeted again.
“You’ve made your choice,” tweeted Lee. “I hope you’re ready for some conversations on the Senate floor that you’re not likely to enjoy. This issue isn’t going away, and neither am I.”