(The Center Square) – Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake castigated the news media about the border crisis, the federal government’s failure to stem the flow of opioids into the country, and its bias against Donald Trump.
Her crowd-rousing speech on Wednesday’s second day of the Republican National Convention was only seconds old when the former Phoenix news anchor said “fake news” media were not welcome at the RNC. It comes four days after the former president, seeking reelection against President Joe Biden, survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa.
“You guys out there in the fake news have worn out your welcome,” Lake said, pointing toward the media attending. “You have spent the last eight years lying about President Donald Trump and his amazing patriotic supporters … They lie about everything. They lie about Joe Biden’s health, the economy, the laptop, the border.”
The laptop referred to Biden’s son, Hunter, and his litigation challenges.
She said Americans are “waking up” to Biden’s “disastrous” policies supported by U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, her likely opponent in November’s general election to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Lake has led in polling and fundraising over her July 30 primary opponents but has seen tight polling in a head-to-head race, with some giving an edge to the Democrat.
“Gallego and the Democrats have handed over control of my state, Arizona’s border, to the drug cartels,” she said, keying in on a common convention theme of border security under the Biden administration. “Because of them, criminals and drugs are pouring in and our children are dying.”
More than 12 million people have illegally crossed the border into the U.S. since 2021, according to data obtained and analyzed by The Center Square.
“Stop the Biden invasion and build the wall,” Lake said to chants of “build the wall.”
If Lake does defeat Gallego in November, the additional Republican seat could swing the balance of the U.S. Senate into GOP control.
After leaving her position as local news anchor, Lake lost to then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the 2022 gubernatorial race. She has filed multiple legal challenges to the race results including one she recently appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court.
