OAN’s Daniel Baldwin
12:41 PM – Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Arizona gubernatorial candidate and former TV star Kari Lake says the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will fail to attract the attention of the nation Wednesday night.
“It’s kind of like the kids’ table at Thanksgiving,” Lake told One America News. “They’re going to be over there throwing food and spilling stuff and causing trouble. But no one’s really going to be paying attention.”
She says, instead, Americans will turn their attention to the interview 45th President Donald Trump will be doing with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
“I believe that people are going to be watching Trump and Tucker [Carlson],” said Lake. “I really think this is going to be an incredible interview. Tucker is no slouch. He’s a good, conservative journalist. He’s going to ask solid questions. You’re not going to get that with a Bret Baier.”
Lake is one of the many surrogates present in Milwaukee stumping for Trump on debate day. Florida Representatives Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) along with Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) are also expected to be in attendance.
“We’re really working to save America,” Lake explained. “If anybody doesn’t realize the dire times that we’re in, then they’ve probably been living under a rock.”
“We’re on the verge of losing our country,” Lake continued. “Our Constitution is in peril right now. Our rights are being taken away and stripped away from us, and we’re watching our federal government being weaponized to go after political opponents. So, it’s important to have the America First agenda talked about.”
There will be notably less elected officials on stage Wednesday night when compared to Aug. 6, 2015, the first GOP primary presidential debate for 2016. That first debate saw Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on both stages. It also saw Governors Scott Walker (R-Wis.), Chris Christie (R-N.J.), and John Kasich (R-Ohio) speak to the American people. By comparison the only current elected officials on stage this time around will be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C), and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R-N.D.).
“I think because so many people are smart and say, ‘Why would we run against the best president in American history,’” Lake told OAN. “We have Babe Ruth. Why are we going to have a bunch of tee-ball players running? And so I think most people are smart enough to realize that it’s a futile effort. It’s stupid. It would actually hurt America to run against President Trump, because we know he’s going to get in there and get things back on course.”
RealClearPolitics polling average shows Trump leading the pack for the Republican nomination by more than 40%.
“I think President Trump made the right choice to not show up for this debate,” said Lake. “He’s already the runaway winner.”
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