Kari Lake claimed anyone who wants “to get to President Trump” will have to get through her and “75 million Americans just like me,” most of whom are “card carrying members of the NRA [National Rifle Association]” in a speech on Friday night.
The Arizona Republican was reacting to Donald Trump being charged over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, with the former president expected to appear before a court in Miami on Tuesday. He faces 37 felony counts, including 31 under the Espionage Act, but strongly denies any wrongdoing and has described the charges as “election interference.”
Trump is currently frontrunner to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate again in 2024, with polls giving him a significant lead over second placed Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor. Thus the charges are likely to have a significant impact on whether Trump is able to secure a second term in the White House, starting in January 2025.
Lake, a passionate Trump supporter, discussed the latest legal action against Trump at an event in Georgia on Friday.
KARI LAKE: “If you want to get to President Trump, you’re going to have to go through me, and 75 million Americans just like me. And most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA. That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement” pic.twitter.com/rSVwEaK2rX
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 10, 2023
Lake, who was defeated in last year’s Arizona governor’s race, commented: “I have a message tonight for Merrick Garland and Jack Smith and Joe Biden and the guys back there in the fake news media, you should listen up as well, this one’s for you.
“If you want to get to President Trump you’re going to have to go through me, and you’re going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card carrying members of the NRA. That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement,” she said, referring to the 74.2 million Americans who voted for Trump in 2020.
Rebecca Noble/GETTY
Garland is the U.S. attorney general while Smith is the federal prosecutor he appointed to investigate Trump’s handling of classified material, along with his role in the events leading up to the storming of Congress on January 6, 2021.
Lake’s remarks were well received by the crowd, with Washington Post reporter Isaac Arnsdorf reporting on Twitter that she received a standing ovation.
Kari Lake speaking in Georgia tonight says to get Trump Merrick Garland will have to go through 75 million Americans “and most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA. That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.” Standing ovation.
— Isaac Arnsdorf (@iarnsdorf) June 10, 2023
Lake later doubled down, telling Arnsdorf on Twitter: “I meant what I said.”
A 47-second clip of Lake’s remarks was posted on Twitter by Jack Posobiec, a conservative activist who is a senior editor for right-wing news site Human Events.
The video triggered a mixed reaction from other social media users, with some saluting Lake for her outspokenness whilst others raised concerns about her “dog-whistle rhetoric.”
Twitter user Laura Shea replied: “Love you Kari! Keep slaying!”
Love you Kari! Keep slaying!
— Laura Shea (@lashearah) June 10, 2023
However John Hawkins, a self-described “right wing” activist from South Carolina, tweeted: “Whenever people say things like that, they never have any intention of being at the front, where the people going to jail are, they always intend to be at the back, profiting off the whole thing somehow.”
Whenever people say things like that, they never have any intention of being at the front, where the people going to jail are, they always intend to be at the back, profiting off the whole thing somehow.
— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) June 10, 2023
One DeSantis supporter, with nearly 14,000 followers, tweeted: “Is this type of simping the new blood oath? Or a loyalty test for VP pick?
“Because this type of dog-whistle rhetoric is sick and should be instantly disavowed by all.”
Lake is still refusing to concede the November 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, which she lost to Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs, despite her claims of electoral fraud being repeatedly rejected in court.
Newsweek has contacted Lake for comment about her Georgia remarks by email.
Trump on Friday suggested he will see his supporters on Tuesday in Miami, when he is due to appear in court, in what some have interpreted as a call for protests.
Commenting on his Truth Social website the former president said: “SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!!”