Kari Lake’s refusal to admit defeat in a previous election produced more laughable attempts to dodge questions about it on Monday. (Watch the video below.)
Lake’s interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins produced so many evasions that you might lose count. Collins seemed dead-set on getting Lake, the GOP Senate nominee in Arizona, to finally concede she lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
One exchange in particular spotlighted Lake’s effort to distance herself from the balloting fraud claims that she regurgitated two years ago in the face of defeat.
Remember, Lake launched several unsuccessful challenges to undo the results of her race against Hobbs. She was also sued by an election official who says Lake falsely accused him of sabotaging the 2022 contest ― a claim that Lake did not contest.
Lake is now trailing Democrat Ruben Gallego in the polls for her Senate race, so polite conversation about her setbacks and lies probably wouldn’t do her much good ― and, of course, it could set off alarms that she might attempt the same thing if she loses this race as well.
Can’t blame Collins for trying to pry it out of her, though.
“So, you’re not going to answer the question about whether or not you lost the election?” the CNN anchor, who hosts “The Source,” said at one point.
“I’m actually thinking you meant to ask me about the issues that people cared about,” Lake replied. “And people care about our wide-open border. They care that 21 million people have poured into your city, to my city, all across this country.”
Collins held her ground. “Do you think people care if you’re willing to accept the results of an election that was free and fair, and that you filed multiple lawsuits that have not gone anywhere? And I should note a defamation lawsuit that was filed against you. You did not contest it ― from a top Arizona election official ― that says you lied about him repeatedly.”
Lake replied: “Well, I think what you meant to ask is, ‘Kari, things are really tough right now.’”
That tested Collins’ patience.
“These are the questions I meant to ask,” she told Lake. “With all due respect, I’m conducting this interview, but you’re not answering those questions. And if that’s your answer, that’s fine. I just wanted to follow up on that.”
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The conversation about Lake’s election denial begins at 2:10, while the highlighted exchange starts at 4:25:
In a debate earlier this month, Gallego asked Lake if she’d won or lost against Hobbs.
“Can I talk about water really quickly?” Lake then asked the moderator, in an effort to return to a discussion about conservation.