13 September 2024

Trump + Kari Lake Stump in Tucson

Trump gave Kari Lake, his close political ally and Arizona Senate hopeful, the nickname of "Border Kari Lake" at his rally in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday.
The Republican presidential nominee described Lake, who was in the audience, as "tough on the border" and "a fantastic person."
In November, Lake is hoping to win the Arizona Senate seat currently occupied by Kyrsten Sinema, who was elected as a Democrat but now sits as an independent. Republicans are hoping to seize control of the Senate after failing to do so during the November 2022 midterm elections, when a widely anticipated "red wave" failed to materialize.
There are currently 51 Senators, including Sinema, who remain aligned with the Democrats at least for committee purposes against 49 Republicans.
Speaking at his rally on Thursday, Trump said:

"She's tough on the border so if you don't mind I'm going to call her Border Kari Lake.

From now on it's Border Kari Lake. She's a fantastic person, I've known her a long time, I was one of the early people that endorsed her and I'll tell you she is tough, tough, tough on the border and you know let's think it over."

According to Arizona's Family 3TV & CBS 5, a local media network, after being given the nickname, Lake, who had been sitting in the front row, "stood and pumped her fist" in response.

Donald Trump Unveils New Nickname for Kari Lake

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Recent polling has given Lake's Democratic opponent in Arizona, current Representative Ruben Gallego, a clear lead in the state's Senate race.

A Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll of 765 likely voters in the state, conducted for The Telegraph between September 6 and 9, put Gallego ahead of Lake with 48 percent of the vote against 42 percent.
Separately, a Morning Consult survey of 901 likely voters which took place from August 30 to September 8 put Gallego eight points ahead, with 49 percent of the vote against 41 percent.

Lake, a former television news anchor, ran unsuccessfully in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election which she narrowly lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs, now the state's governor.

However, Lake claimed the race had been rigged against her and challenged the result in the courts, though they repeatedly reaffirmed the original outcome.

Trump has a long track record of giving other politicians nicknames, though these are more usually levied at his rivals than supporters.

Examples include branding President Joe Biden "Sleepy Joe," calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "Ron DeSanctimonious" and terming his 2016 presidential opponent Hillary Clinton "Crooked Hillary."