Kari Lake Speaks Out About Donald Trump 'Rift'

Arizona Senate hopeful Kari Lake has dismissed a recent news report that said there are growing tensions between her and former President Donald Trump.

The Washington Post reported on Monday that the former president has begun to doubt Lake's electoral chances and has expressed annoyance at her regular presence at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to interviews with five sources speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Lake, a longtime Trump supporter, has been a vocal promoter of his false claims about electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election and has blamed her own failed 2022 Arizona gubernatorial bid on election fraud. The Republican Senate hopeful's claims have not been supported by evidence.

Lake took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to counter the report.

"I was on the phone with President Trump when I learned the Washington ComPost was inventing another fake news story. We had a good laugh at our sudden 'rift.' My friendship with the Greatest President in American History has never been stronger!" Lake wrote.

Lake, a former news anchor, warned her MAGA allies that the "Fake News is going to work OVERTIME to try and divide us" ahead of the 2024 election.

Newsweek reached out to representatives for Lake and Trump via email for comment, outside of regular working hours.

The Republican Party is yet to select their Senate candidate to run against the presumptive Democratic nominee Ruben Gallego in Arizona.

Mark Lamb, the sheriff in Pinal County, Arizona, is running against Lake, but he trails her in the polls.

The Washington Post reported that Trump has begun fearing that Lake might not be able to win Arizona and that she could negatively impact his own poll numbers.

One unnamed source told the Post that Trump had "gently suggested to Lake" last year that she should leave Mar-a-Lago and spend more time on the campaign trail in Arizona.

Republicans have expressed concerns about how much time Lake spends giving speeches for others outside of Arizona, one party strategist told the newspaper.

Lake's name has frequently been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential pick for Trump, the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee.

According to the news report, Trump has essentially ruled her out, citing her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race in Arizona, which he thought she should have won.

However, if there is a rift between Trump and one of his most prominent followers, it is not publicly visible—Lake was at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month for a fundraiser.

In response to the Post's queries about the story, Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller issued a statement on behalf of the former president.

"Kari Lake is a Smart and Fearless Leader who will WIN in Arizona, and help us flip the Senate to Republican control. Kari's Opponent, Ruben Gallego, is an Open Borders RADICAL, who is BAD on Inflation and SOFT on Terrorists and Crime," the statement read.