Kari Lake Balks At DeSantis, Haley Presidential Campaigns

Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake belittled the presidential campaign efforts of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) in remarks to the Washington Examiner Friday, with two days left to go before the Iowa caucuses.

“This is just vanity projects,” Lake said while speaking with the Washington Examiner in Des Moines. “They know they can’t beat President Trump, and they’re trying to nip at his ankles. It’s like a little chihuahua dog that is [biting] at his ankles. It is such a waste of money and energy.”

Lake was in Iowa to campaign for former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner who has also consistently bested current President Joe Biden in head-to-head general election polls since November. She also criticized Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) for endorsing DeSantis for president.

“I was disappointed in that because one of the things that I think Iowans value is loyalty,” Lake said of Reynolds’ endorsement. “President Trump is a forgiving guy, and he’ll welcome her support. Obviously, I’m sure he wishes he had it sooner, but I think, eventually, she’ll figure out the direction this country is going in.”

The Arizona Senate candidate had an event in nearby Pella scheduled but canceled it as record cold weather hit the area with dangerous below-zero temperatures. Trump has also canceled events due to the inclement weather conditions, leaving only his Indianola appearance open for the weekend.

Lake seemed confident that Trump’s ground game in Iowa would carry the state because of the several visits he has paid the Hawkeye State. She also echoed Trump’s statements that the severe weather will benefit his campaign. “These are people who would crawl across broken glass to vote for President Trump or, in this case, go out in a blizzard,” she said.

“Maybe not every voter has been called, but every voter has had a chance to see President Trump speak. He’s been here many, many times and put on some high-energy events. I think he’s reached more voters than the other candidates combined because of his staying power and his ability to draw a big crowd,” she added.