On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that Kari Lake, the Trump-loving Arizona gubernatorial candidate, traveled to the former president's Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday, fresh off a narrow election loss to Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs that she has still not acknowledged or conceded.
"One of the people said she received a standing ovation when she entered a luncheon hosted at the club by the America First Policy Institute, a think tank founded last year by Trump allies and former members of his administration. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private events," reported Isaac Stanley-Becker, Josh Dawsey, and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez. "The think tank is holding a 'Gala and Experience' at Trump’s club on Thursday and Friday. An agenda says the event’s aim is to 'ensure polices are prepared and finalized for new sessions of Congress and the state house.'"
"Lake was projected Monday to lose the race to Democrat Katie Hobbs, the current secretary of state," said the report. "On Tuesday, Lake reacted to Trump’s announcement of a third bid for the White House by declaring on Twitter that he had her 'complete and total endorsement!' Lake was frequently discussed as a potential vice-presidential pick for Trump, although she maintained on the campaign trail that she intended to serve a full term as governor if elected."
Lake, who constantly pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and refused to commit to accepting the results of her own election, has so far not done that.
"Lake has not conceded defeat," said the report. "The visit to Mar-a-Lago, while vote counting continues in Arizona, signals that she is already taking steps to maintain her profile in the former president’s orbit. Her support also could prove consequential for Trump, who launched his 2024 presidential campaign this week under criticism for his role in the party’s underwhelming performance in the midterm elections." She also released a video proclaiming that the election was "unforgivable" and she would keep fighting, baselessly claiming that a temporary glitch with tabulator machines on Election Day disenfranchised her voters, even though ballot drop boxes were available for those who couldn't use a tabulator.
In addition to election conspiracy theories, Lake pushed other extreme policies in her campaign, including mass arrests of homeless people. Far-right Rep. Paul Gosar was also urging her to deploy the National Guard against a local American Indian tribe that had resisted the construction of Trump's border wall.
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