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
Karrin Taylor Robson Joins Trump in Sowing Doubts About 2024 Election, Won’t Promise to Certify Election Results
On the July 10th airing of Sunday Square Off, Brahm Resnick asked Karrin Taylor Robson, “One of your most important jobs will be to certify the 2024 presidential election….can you tell voters now you would not allow conspiracy theories like the kinds we’ve heard and I suspect, fear, will continue to influence your decision when it comes to certifying the 2024 presidential election?” In response, Taylor Robson dodged, saying, “What I can assure every voter and every citizen of Arizona is that I will look at the evidence presented to me as a lawyer, that’s what I do. I look at the evidence. I don’t answer hypothetical questions. I look at the evidence presented to me, and I will make a judgment call as to whether or not that evidence is sufficient to certify an election or not.”
Kari Lake Has Consistently And Falsely Claimed The 2020 Election Was “Stolen” And “Corrupt.”
Lake claimed that the right-wing and fraudulent 2020 election audit was proof the election was rigged, and defended the right-wing propaganda film, “2,000 Mules. ” Lake has also said of Biden: “He lost the election, and he shouldn’t be in the White House.”
Kari Lake Agrees She’ll Refuse to Concede the 2022 Arizona Election
At an early July event with Mark Finchem, Lake agreed that she’ll refuse to concede the election if she loses and goes on to say Trump didn’t concede, saying she thinks that was “really smart.”
Arizona Republic Profiles Karrin Taylor Robson, Asking “Is She Really A Conservative Outsider?” Arizona Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger profiled Karrin Taylor Robson, questioning her claims that she’s a “conservative outsider” and drawing attention to her vast amount of wealth.
Copper Courier: Could Anti-Abortion, Election-Denying Conspiracy Theorist Kari Lake Be Arizona’s Next Governor? The Copper Courier is out with a profile of Kari Lake, writing, “This round-up only touches the surface of Lake’s agenda. She has also embraced extreme ideas and rhetoric on other issues, including immigration and public health. On Aug. 2, voters in Arizona’s Republican primary will decide whether these ideas are too much for them. If Lake advances to November, the state’s entire electorate would be asked to decide whether they trust Lake to lead them despite her support of the “Big Lie” and other extreme proposals affecting Arizonans’ healthcare, education, and safety.”