Republicans need to “learn to take a joke” according to U.S. Senate candidate for Arizona, Kari Lake.
The former GOP Arizona gubernatorial candidate clarified previous criticism of former Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as just campaign talk, explaining in a radio interview on Monday that it was all “in jest,” a sentiment that drew fire from the late senator’s daughter.
Lake, along with Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., are vying for the Senate seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., even though she has not indicated she will not be running for re-election. Lake spoke with KTAR (92.3 FM) on a variety of issues, and her effort to unite Arizona Republicans.
Commenting on her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race, Lake was asked on the Phoenix radio station’s “Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos” show about her insults of McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, while campaigning.
(Relevant portion begins at 11:00 minute mark)
“We don’t have any McCain Republicans in here, do we? Get the hell out!” she had reportedly said during a campaign event.
She had also said the GOP “was the party of McCain. It was bad. Arizona has delivered some losers, haven’t they?”
“We don’t have any McCain Republicans here do we? Well, get the the hell out!” – Kari Lake before she called McCain a loser and white nationalist Wendy Rogers a hero.
https://t.co/CSKSmVNwsU https://t.co/9CpgicLxny pic.twitter.com/T7PtGnOXUS— Tony Cani (@tcani) November 5, 2022
Lake addressed the comments that she said were made a year before the election, which angered many who still were fans of the late senator who died in 2018, including radio host Bruce St. James.
She explained that, at the time, she was dealing with “nuclear bomb-style incoming, tens of millions of dollars in attack ads from a McCain Republican.”
“It was said in jest. And I think that if John McCain, who had a great sense of humor, would have heard it, he would have laughed,” she told KTAR, adding that Republicans “need to get a little bit thicker skin because we’re going through some tough stuff right now and we need to be able to take a joke.”
McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain, fired off a nasty response to Lake’s comments, accusing the GOP candidate of trying to “walk back” her words.
Kari Lake is trying to walk back her continued attacks on my Dad (& family) and all of his loyal supporters after telling them to “get the hell out”. Guess she realized she can’t become a Senator without us.
No peace, bitch. We see you for who you are – and are repulsed by it.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 20, 2024
“Guess she realized she can’t become a Senator without us,” McCain wrote on X. “No peace, bitch. We see you for who you are – and are repulsed by it.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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