Kari Lake doesn’t want voters to get complacent with poll numbers: ‘We got to swamp them’

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Trump rallies seem to be a congregation ground for top political conservatives. Whether it is Donald Trump parading a delegation of South Carolina officials, just to spite Nikki Haley, in an attempt to show he is more popular than the former governor in her own state or a collection of vice presidential hopefuls trying to audition for the job. 

A staple guest seen kissing babies as the crowd chants “VP, VP, VP!” is Kari Lake. Lake stopped for an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner in which she spoke about her support for Trump and why her campaign is taking poll numbers with a disclaimer.

Kari Lake seen kissing babies to the chant of “VP, VP, VP!” at the Trump rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (Washington Examiner/Amy DeLaura)

“We the people are not asleep, we the people are awake. We’re standing up. We’re gonna fight back,” Lake said. “And we’re gonna take our country back.”

The former news anchor and failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate is now in the fight, running for Arizona senate against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). Both are vying for the seat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) may or may not be seeking reelection for. 

Lake and Gallego are in an all-out fundraising war. It all started when Gallego tried to get campaign donations by highlighting to his supporters he is actually down in the polls compared to Lake. 

Lake responded by posting, “Ruben Gallego is fundraising off losing to me. So I think it’s only fair that I fundraise off beating him.“ The email from Gallego’s team show that since October, polls have Gallego dropping 3 percentage points and Lake rising the same number. Now Lake and Gallego are standing at 46% and 45%, respectively.

However, this seems to be a little bit of deja vu for the Arizona hopeful. During Lake’s race against now-Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ), polling showed her beating the Democrat. This time around, Lake’s campaign is taking these numbers with a disclaimer: Don’t get complacent by poll numbers, and supporters need to get out and vote on Election Day.

“This is a time to get involved,” Lake said. “Every day get involved. We have to show up and vote. As President Trump says, ‘We got to swamp them.’”

Kari Lake gives an exclusive interview to Washington Examiner during a campaign event for Former President Donald Trump in Rochester, New Hampshire, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (Washington Examiner/Amy DeLaura)

Lake is not fazed by her loss in the Arizona gubernatorial race and does not think her supporters are either. During Lake’s run for governor in 2022, she relied heavily on Trump’s claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him due to widespread election fraud. She even filed her own lawsuits, which were dismissed, when she lost her bid for governor in the battleground state.

“I know that our elections need help,” Lake said. “I know we need reform so that people have faith in our elections, but sitting it out, licking our wounds and saying, we’re not going to show up — it’s not the answer.” 

One main reason she has so much support is her stance on the border. Voters across the country who have spoken to the Washington Examiner list the border as a top concern, and it’s something Lake has marked as a focal point in her campaign.

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“Honestly, my border plan when I ran for governor was the strongest, was bold, aggressive border plan this country’s ever seen,” Lake said. “But I do know when we get President Trump in the White House, we’re going to secure that border starting on day one. And the people in New Hampshire won’t have to worry about fentanyl pouring in killing the young people and the other states that are dealing with the Fentanyl crisis as well, including Arizona.”

With Lake spending so much time outside of Arizona, on the campaign trail stumping for Trump, of course there are rumblings of her also being a top choice for vice president. But Lake has many times denied she doesn’t want to be anywhere other than Arizona, at least for the time being.