Trump pick's 'disqualifying' smear hurled back in her face: 'How about an apology?'

Kari Lake, President Trump's nominee for ambassador to Jamaica, refused to retract a debunked smear against a sitting Democratic U.S. senator at her confirmation hearing, insisting her claim was not wrong.

The confrontation came during Lake's appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) pressed her over a 2024 campaign claim that Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), then a House member running against Lake for Senate, was "controlled by the cartels," a charge PolitiFact rated "pants on fire."

Kaine opened by invoking Gallego's memoir, in which the Arizona Democrat wrote about being abandoned by a father who ended up in criminal trouble — and changing his last name to his mother's maiden name in response.

"'This is not something to fool around with,'" Kaine told Lake. "'Ms. Lake accused one of our sitting colleagues of being controlled by the cartels. You had no evidence then, nor do you have any evidence now, that our colleague Sen. Gallego is controlled by cartels, do you, Ms. Lake?'"

"'Well, we provided the receipts,'" Lake replied, pointing to Gallego's father.

Kaine cut her off: "'You provided no evidence. This was rated pants on fire — a lie. You had no evidence then, and you have no evidence now that Ruben Gallego is controlled by cartels. Isn't that right?'"

"'I don't know,'" Lake said, "'and I'm not here to do — reputational repair.'"

"'How about an apology to our colleague?'" Kaine demanded.

"'I don't believe my charge was wrong,'" Lake replied.

Kaine then revealed Lake had repeated the claim after the campaign ended. When Gallego posted on X opposing the invasion of Venezuela, Lake responded at 2:35 a.m.: "'You are a member of a Mexican cartel family. You are also a fraud! No one is surprised by your take.'"

"'You had no evidence then. You have no evidence now. You're unwilling to admit it,'" Kaine insisted to Lake. "'She just told the committee she has no idea whether it's true or false, but she was glad to say it, and she won't retract it now. That should be disqualifying.'"