Kari Lake Slams Ruben Gallego, Sparks ‘Build the Wall’ Rallying Cry at RNC

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake delivered a brief but pointed speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Lake, a former Phoenix news anchor, repeated familiar themes, attacking the news media and public schools while leading chants to “build the wall.” Her audience consisted of Republican politicians, candidates, and supporters.

Since announcing her Senate bid last October, Lake has stuck to her core messages. She criticized the media, which she previously worked for, and called for ending what she described as the “indoctrination” of children in public schools. During her speech, she managed to rally the crowd with chants of “build the wall”.

Lake’s political journey has been closely tied to former President Donald Trump, who endorsed her Senate bid after supporting her unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2022. Despite losing that election to Democrat Katie Hobbs by over 17,000 votes, Lake echoed Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. Her legal challenges have been consistently unsuccessful, and her lawyers have faced sanctions for false claims about illegal ballots.

In addition to her legal battles over election results, Lake faces a defamation lawsuit filed by Republican Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. In June 2023, Richer sued Lake for accusing him of sabotaging the 2022 election. Lake has conceded that her statements about Richer were false, and the case now seeks to determine the damages owed.

Despite these controversies, Lake avoided discussing them on Tuesday. She also did not mention her primary opponent, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who trails her significantly in polls. Interestingly, Lake declined to debate Lamb, contradicting her previous criticism of Katie Hobbs for avoiding a debate.

Instead, Lake targeted her likely Democratic opponent, U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego, associating him with President Joe Biden. She accused Gallego of enabling control of Arizona’s border by drug cartels and blaming him for fentanyl overdose deaths in the state. She also falsely claimed that Gallego voted to allow undocumented immigrants to vote, a statement his campaign swiftly called a “blatant lie.”

Gallego’s spokesperson, Hannah Goss, accused Lake of lying to Arizonans and distracting from her own controversial stance on abortion. Lake’s shifting positions on abortion have created uncertainty about her actual policies if elected.

The Senate seat at stake, currently held by Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, is open, as Sinema chose not to seek reelection. Lake’s speech, filled with echoes of Trump’s rhetoric, concluded with criticism aimed at the media, a frequent target throughout her campaign.

“We love you all,” Lake told the convention crowd, quickly adding that the sentiment did not extend to the news media, whom she accused of lying about Trump and his supporters over the past eight years. She emphasized unity, suggesting Americans have more in common than the media portrays.

“If we join together, we will make America safe again and make America great again,” Lake said, aligning with the day’s theme and Trump’s famous slogan.