Mike Lee's controversial social media posts about last weekend's deadly political shootings in Minnesota are reviving critics' allegations that Utah's senior senator has taken a path toward MAGA radicalization.

Why it matters: Lee was once considered a staid, if deeply conservative, presence in the Senate's right flank.

State of play: Lee's posts, which baselessly ascribed leftist motives to the attacks on Minnesota Democrats, were only the latest to attract scrutiny of his far-right online profile — especially under his personal @BasedMikeLee account on X.

• His activity on the platform has skyrocketed since the beginning of President Trump's second term, with an average of more than 100 posts per day in the first three months of 2025, per an analysis by the Salt Lake Tribune.

What's inside: The posts are largely MAGA red meat, with broad criticism of "leftists," culture war grievances and right-wing conspiracy theories.

• Case in point: A week ago, he called the "No Kings" protesters "Marxist psy ops" funded by China.

By the numbers: Via @BasedMikeLee, he has posted about Marxism 15 times and tagged Elon Musk in 40 posts so far this month.

• As of Tuesday, he had not yet posted the word "Utah."

Neither Lee's office nor Utah GOP chair Robert Axson responded to Axios' requests for comment Tuesday morning.

What they're saying: "This is not normal, regular civic banter, especially for man of his stature in the office that he holds," said Mike Madrid, a veteran Republican political consultant and co-founder of The Lincoln Project. "Something is wrong with him, and I think his family should be concerned."

• "I think the more he has engaged in [inflammatory posts], the easier and more instinctual it's become for him," said Becky Edwards, who challenged Lee in the 2022 primary.

Zoom in: University of Cincinnati professor Jeffrey Blevins, an expert in social media and politics, told Axios that Lee likely knows when he's spreading misinformation.

• "He's falling in line with the big political interests now," Blevins said.

The latest: By Tuesday, Lee had deleted the posts about the Minnesota shooting suspect — though he had initially kept them up even after friends said the suspect was deeply conservative.

Lee's MAGA antics online belie his earlier reputation in the Senate: For years, he was seen as an uncompromising yet intellectual conservative.

Catch up quick: In 2016, Lee was stridently opposed to Trump.

• He tried to modify GOP convention rules to prevent Trump's nomination in 2016. Upon seeing the "Access Hollywood" tape, Lee called on Trump to withdraw from the race.

Reality check: Lee has always been very conservative.

• In 2010, he unseated Bob Bennett, a powerful, three-term Republican incumbent, in the state GOP convention by running to Bennett's right.
• The upset was widely seen as a bellwether in Utah of the influence of the Tea Party movement, which backed Lee.

Catch up quick: After Trump took office, Lee quickly became one of his most ardent allies and pushed him not to accept defeat in 2020.

• As a MAGA acolyte, he likened Trump to Captain Moroni, a heroic figure in the Book of Mormon.

What they're saying: "He went from being a respected conservative constitutionalist to sort of this loyalist sycophant for somebody who represents nothing of the values he once held," Madrid told Axios.

• "It's as if Ned Flanders became a 4chan troll," The Atlantic's Tim Alberta wrote last year.

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🚨The shot that killed a bystander who was marching in Saturday's "No Kings" protest was fired by a military veteran who was volunteering as part of the event's "safety team," organizers said. (Associated Press)

🌡️ Utah's ongoing heat wave could worsen mental health problems, with research showing hot weather is linked to spikes in psychotic, manic and mood-related symptoms as well as suicidal ideation and substance abuse. (KUER)

✊ Kaysville city officials revised a social media post honoring Juneteenth after conservative backlash to an image of raised fists — a traditional sign of solidarity and resistance. (KSL.com)

• Opponents claimed the fist symbolized Marxism.

The Sundance Film Festival's Local Lens Program returns July 17-19.

The intrigue: The program offers free movie screenings in Salt Lake City and Park City that were showcased in this year's slate.

• You just have to RSVP.

State of play: The eight fiction and documentary films playing in the series are:

"Twinless": 7:30pm July 17 at Broadway Centre Cinemas

"Omaha": 7:30pm July 17 at The Ray Theatre (Utah director Cole Webley will appear for an intro and Q&A.) and 3pm July 19 at Broadway Centre Cinemas

"All That's Left of You": 5pm July 18 at The Ray Theatre and 7pm July 19 at Broadway Centre Cinemas

"The Librarians": 5pm July 18 at Broadway Centre Cinemas and 11am July 19 at The Ray Theatre (Director Kim Snyder will join for an intro and Q&A for both showings.)

"Selena y Los Dinos": 8:30pm July 18 at The Ray Theatre

More movies

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

Run 4 Autism 5k at Constitution Park on June 28: A family-friendly event raising global autism awareness and support. Walk, run, celebrate inclusion. $0-$39.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Use of the 988 national suicide prevention and mental health hotline remains uneven across states, a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: The service was launched in 2022 to help address America's mental health crisis — but gaps persist.

Driving the news: Utah saw a contact rate of 24.6 calls per 1,000 people in 2024, slightly higher than the national rate of 23.7, per new research published in JAMA Network Open.

• Meanwhile, Alaska (45.3), Vermont (40.2) and New York (38.8) had the highest rates.
• Delaware (12.5), Alabama (14.4) and Florida (15.6) had the lowest.