'Total strategy to win': Kari Lake explains why she dropped subpoena for Katie Hobbs to testify

Former Arizona candidate for governor Kari Lake (R) predicted that she would win her election challenge in court because "any judge across this country would look at this evidence and rule in our favor."

Just minutes before her Arizona trial began, Lake spoke to conservative podcaster Steve Bannon about why she withdrew a subpoena that would have forced Governor-elect Katie Hobbs (D) to testify.

"Talk to us about you guys' strategy going in here because I think last night a couple of three people might have been surprised that Katie Hobbs is off the hook," Bannon said. "I know it's part of grand total strategy to win here."

Lake laughed: "We had 18 people we were going to be putting on the stand when we had many counts that we were looking at, um, taking to court. And the judge kind of narrowed, really narrowed our case to two counts. And so, we have to really prioritize every second of the five hours we have to prove these two counts."

The former candidate said her legal team would focus on testimony from Maricopa County officials instead.

"As much fun as it would be to put stuttering, stammering panicky Katie Hobbs on the stand, we would have a ball with that," she said. "We believe what we're going to be putting forth today, that any judge across this country would look at this evidence and rule in our favor."

Several days earlier, Lake promised a crowd at Turning Point USA's America Fest that Hobbs would testify.

"We're taking these bastards to trial," she pledged. "We're really excited. We have an excellent case."

Watch the video below from Real America's Voice.