Welcome to The Meltdown, a weekly rundown of every laugh and gaffe in the chaotic and crazy GOP gubernatorial primary. The two major Republicans in the race, Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson, are battling it out to prove who’s the most unhinged and on the fringe. It can be hard to keep track of every tweet, ad and interview, so we’ve done that for you. Enjoy!
Tweet of the Week
Arizona’s Own Kylie Jenner– Not to be outdone by Kyie Jenner who’s been ridiculed for taking 10 minute flights across LA, Karrin Taylor Robson seems to have taken an 11 minute flight to get from Scottsdale to Glendale for a campaign event with Mike Pence this morning. For the rest of us who have to drive, that trip usually takes 35-45 minutes, but everyone hates freeway traffic, so if you have access to a private jet why not abuse it?
Trump Versus Pence–The explosive “MAGA death match” and race to the bottom between Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson had new ammo this week as former vice president Mike Pence came to Arizona for Karrin Taylor Robson–the same day his former running mate, Donald Trump rallied for Taylor Robson’s opponent, Kari Lake, in Prescott tonight. This bitter primary race has fractured the Republican Party with opposing endorsements, name calling and once unified GOP power players now taking separate sides.
Blitz It–With less than two weeks until the primary, Robson is desperately blitzing the airwaves, spending millions of her own money in an attempt to differentiate herself from Kari Lake. So far, Robson has spent $13 million dollars and that’s JUST for the primary.
Two Peas In A Pod– Both Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson Push Election Conspiracy Theories– This week was the final hearing for the summer by the House select committee on the January 6th insurrection, making it an ideal moment to recall how both Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson continue pushing dangerous conspiracy theories on not only the 2020 election, but future elections as well. It’s no secret that Donald Trump and Kari Lake have been vocal conspiracy theorists, pushing disproven lies about the 2020 election and sowing doubt about future ones, but Karrin Taylor Robson has also consistently said she doesn’t trust the results of the 2020 election and has refused to say if she would certify Arizona’s 2024 election if she were governor.
Don’t Pay The Trolls– A mysterious $2 million dollars has gone to a troll farm operator to boost Kari Lake’s campaign — and no one is sure where the money is coming from. The firm is owned by state Rep. Jake Hoffman, who was banned from Facebook in 2020 for operating a troll farm. More recently he was named on the false slate of electors to overturn the 2020 election.