Kari Lake’s Senate Bid Is Giving Off
Trump-Veep Vibes:
“She’s Hedging Her Bets”
- Since announcing her campaign on October 10, the pro-Trump media star, who was defeated in the Arizona gubernatorial election last year, has logged a pair of visits to both Florida and Nevada and attended events in Texas and Colorado.
- “[Lake] is not worried about who President Trump picks as his vice president, but she is certain it will be a great pick,” the spokesperson said.
- “She is focused on winning her Senate race in Arizona. And she looks forward to casting her vote in Arizona for President Trump and whoever he selects as VP.”
- The campaign went on to say that Lake “is dedicated to winning this race in Arizona,” noting that she has held dozens of meetings and attended various events in the state since launching her campaign.
In the aftermath of her loss to now Arizona governor Katie Hobbs last year, Lake engaged in the characteristically Trumpian maneuver of refusing to concede defeat, claiming the election was tainted by fraud and misconduct. Her various attempts to prove that argument in court have thus far ended in failure. Nevertheless, she has illegitimately claimed the title of Arizona’s “lawful governor.”
- Lake has no experience as an elected official and little national recognition to speak of, having spent the bulk of her professional life working as a local news anchor.
- It also doesn’t help that some in Trump world have been put off by Lake’s arriviste instincts.
- “The problem with Kari is she’s just got this real ‘look at me’ thing going on, and I just don’t think she’s earned it,” one person close to the Trump campaign told me.
- “Clearly she’s got aspirations beyond Arizona, right, but here’s where I am: Go out and win something…. You have to win something before you go off telling everyone you’re gonna be vice president.”
Still, Lake is highly telegenic and media-savvy, not to mention an election denier with an unimpeachable loyalty to Trump—qualities the former president values above all else when choosing the members of his inner circle.
While appearing on Steve Bannon’s show this month, Lake described Trump as a “giant” and an “alpha male” who is “right on everything” and “truly one of the best dealmakers.”
She proceeded to unleash on various Trump foes, including Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Iowa governor Kim Reynolds, whom she knocked for endorsing DeSantis in the Republican primary.
“We don’t need to have a primary,” Lake said of the Republican Party.
“We already have an incredible candidate in President Trump…We didn’t need to have this sideshow going on.”
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