Democrats have long pointed out Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake’s frequent out-of-state travel. Now, Donald Trump has apparently taken notice as well.
According to the Washington Post, the former president is annoyed by Lake’s frequent jaunts to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s resort and political home base in Palm Beach, Florida.
At one point, according to the report, Trump even “gently suggested to Lake that she should leave the club and hit the campaign trail” in Arizona, where she’s set to face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in a high-stakes Senate race this fall.
While not the most important Senate race this cycle — Republicans have generally focused more on unseating incumbent Democratic senators in Ohio and Montana — Lake’s race still matters. If she’s able to make the race more competitive, it increases Republicans’ chances of retaking the chamber, which could make or break Trump’s ability to govern if he wins a second term.
Spokespeople for Trump and Lake did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment. A Trump spokesman did not directly address the Post’s reporting, but told the outlet that Lake is a “Smart and Fearless Leader who will WIN in Arizona.” A senior advisor to Lake told the Post that the Senate candidate is “running a strong campaign.”
Yet Lake has traveled out of state numerous times for speaking engagements and campaign events in the midst of her current campaign. On a semi-regular basis, the Arizona Democratic Party has sent out newsletters entitled “Where In The World Is Kari Lake?” highlighting the candidate’s latest travel.
During one recent appearance before a Republican crowd in Idaho, Lake even appeared to backtrack on her stated opposition to Arizona’s newly instated abortion law, saying that “unfortunately” it was not being enforced.
