Failed Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake voiced her support for former Republican President Donald Trump's conduct during CNN's town hall, saying he had been "very kind" to CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins and exercising restraint despite what she perceived as Collins' biased and agenda-driven approach.
During an appearance on Steve Bannon's War Room, Lake expressed her disappointment stating:
“It would have been nice to have a fair moderator who actually wanted to impart the viewers and the voters with information."
"You know, when I tune into something like that as a voter, I want to get some information. Where do you stand on the issues? What are you going to do to solve our problems?"
"This woman had such an agenda and it was so obvious."
Lake suggested Trump had shown restraint and praised him for not getting into a more combative exchange with Collins, asserting:
"President Trump, he held his fire. I was really impressed. You know, he was very kind considering what she was doing and how biased she was."
"There was no interest in just talking about policy and letting people decide, it was definitely agenda-driven. Complete nastiness."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Furthermore, Lake criticized Collins for allegedly accusing Trump of discussing the election when, according to Lake, Collins was the one "asking questions about it." She argued Trump did an "incredible job" despite the circumstances and claimed to have spoken to him directly about his performance, asserting that he was satisfied with his performance as well.
During the town hall, Trump referred to Collins as "a nasty person" following a heated exchange about classified documents. However, Trump also thanked Collins and acknowledged her efforts at the end of the interview, commending her for doing a "good job."
Lake's support for Trump's handling of the town hall aligns with her conservative perspective and longstanding affiliation with the Republican Party. As rumors circulated in March about her potential selection as Trump's running mate in 2024, Lake's endorsement of Trump's performance further solidifies her position within the conservative political landscape.
Many have criticized her remarks.
Lake was considered a rising GOP star for much of the last election but her loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs was yet another sign those who've backed Trump's "Big Lie" that the 2020 general election was stolen were being repudiated at the ballot box.
The overwhelming majority of Trump's chosen candidates failed to make traction on Election Night, which did not result in the "red wave" Republican legislators and pollsters had counted on and were seen as a referendum on how much sway Trump and his rhetoric still have over the American electorate.
@LeeMerrittesq/X
@bob_moss/X
@jelanijones/Bluesky
@Aurkayne/X
@sadcommunistdog; @froglok/Bluesky