The Trump-aligned Republican candidate for governor in Arizona, Kari Lake, advised journalists on Tuesday she might be their “worst fricking nightmare for 8 years” if she defeated the Democrat Katie Hobbs for the job.
Lake has been talked up as a walking mate for Donald Trump in his broadly expected run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, which he has indicated he will announce this month.
Requested approximately the possibility on Tuesday, the previous television anchor said: “we’ve pointed out this before. I’ve replied to this query. I’m going to now not best be the governor of Arizona for 4 years, I’m going to do phrases.”
“I’m going to be your worst fricking nightmare for 8 years, and we can reform the media as nicely. We’re going to make you guys into newshounds once more, so get ready. It’s gonna be an amusing 8 years. I’m able to’t wait to be operating with you.”
Lake has reflected Trump in attacking the mainstream media notwithstanding having thrived within it. Earlier than coming into politics, Trump hosted 14 seasons of The Apprentice for NBC. Lake had an extended profession as an anchor for KSAZ-television, a Fox affiliate in Phoenix.
On election day, Lake shared a campaign ad in which she smashed TVs.
“It’s time to take a sledgehammer to the mainstream media’s lies and propaganda,” Lake, who has repeated Trump’s propagandist lie about electoral fraud in his defeat via Joe Biden in 2020, stated within the 3-and-a-half of-minute ad.
The TVs Lake destroyed confirmed anchors from MSNBC and CNN, consisting of Don Lemon, nonetheless hired at CNN, and two who’ve left, Chris Cuomo and Brian Stelter.
Lake additionally stated the media used “fear-mongering to manipulate a scared and broken populace”, a tactic “proper out of a communist playbook”.
“I recognize this because I used to work for the mainstream media,” she stated.
As Arizona voted on Tuesday, Lake’s shift into politics regarded in all likelihood to repay. The cook dinner Political report rated the gubernatorial race a toss-up however the polling website FiveThirtyEight gave Lake a 68% hazard of triumphing. The college of Virginia middle for Politics said the race leaned Republican.
“Lake’s views on the legitimacy of the 2020 election have made her a polarizing determine,” Larry Sabato, Kyle Kondik, and J Miles Coleman wrote, pointing to worries about how Lake might technique the presidential election in 2024.
“however she is greater charismatic than her Democratic opponent … who drew criticism for refusing to debate.”
