Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.) on Wednesday defended GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiClub for Growth to spend million in ads for Trump Supreme Court nominee Pebble Mine CEO resigns over secretly recorded comments about government officials Maryland's GOP governor says Republicans shouldn't rush SCOTUS vote before election MORE (Alaska) amidst conservative backlash over her opposition to confirming Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Feinstein 'surprised and taken aback' by suggestion she's not up for Supreme Court fight MORE to the Supreme Court, saying she “certainly” would recover.

"Well, she's certainly going to recover. ... She's about as strong as you could possibly be in Alaska,” McConnell said during an Associated Press Newsmakers interview. “Nobody's gonna beat her. I'm proud she's in the Republican conference.”

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He added that Murkowski had backed Neil Gorsuch, President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE's first Supreme Court nominee, as well as dozens of circuit judges and is in “very good standing” in the Senate Republican Conference.

McConnell's comments come after Trump criticized Murkowski during an interview with The Washington Post on Saturday, predicting she would “never recover” politically and that Alaska voters will “never forgive” her for her opposition to Kavanaugh.

Fox News host Sean Hannity has called for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) to make a “political comeback” and challenge Murkowski when she is up for reelection.

Palin herself pointed toward the year Murkowski will be up for reelection, tweeting last week, "I can see 2022 from my house."

Tuckerman Babcock, the chairman of Alaska Republican Party, told The Associated Press that the state GOP could reprimand the senator, issue a statement on her vote or even withdraw its support of her, which would include encouraging her not to run for reelection in 2022 as a Republican.

Murkowski voted against advancing Kavanaugh's nomination during a procedural vote Friday and said she was opposed to his nomination in the final vote to confirm him on Saturday.

She was recorded as "present" during the final vote, something she did as a courtesy to offset the absence of Sen. Steve Daines Steven (Steve) David DainesTrump seeks to turn around campaign with Supreme Court fight McConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Will Republicans' rank hypocrisy hinder their rush to replace Ginsburg? MORE (R-Mont.), who supported Kavanaugh but was at his daughter's wedding back home in Montana.

Republican senators have publicly backed Murkowski in the wake of Trump's criticism. She also brushed off the potential political consequences, telling reporters on Tuesday that she was "good" with her vote.

"I took the vote that I took. And I'm good with it and I'm moving forward. I think we all need to be, so I'm not going to dwell on the 'what ifs,' " Murkowski told reporters in the Senate basement on Tuesday evening.