Lake Comments On Future During Speech
Well, Kari Lake has spoken, and it looks like the firebrand from Arizona is packing her bags for Washington, D.C., not Des Moines or Phoenix. After two bruising defeats—first in the Arizona gubernatorial race against Katie Hobbs in 2022 and then in a Senate matchup against Democrat Ruben Gallego—it seems Lake has decided to sidestep another electoral slugfest and instead take on a role in President-elect Trump’s incoming administration.
During her speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Lake shut down swirling rumors about future runs in either Arizona or her home state of Iowa. Her response was clear and unambiguous: “I am gonna go help President Trump in Washington, D.C. That’s what I’m gonna do.”
Now, let’s break this down.
First, there were whispers about a potential primary challenge against Iowa Senator Joni Ernst—a risky and honestly puzzling proposition. Ernst isn’t exactly a weak incumbent, and taking her on would have been a brutal uphill climb. Then there was the idea of a rematch with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. But with Trump subtly signaling his support for Karrin Taylor Robson—the more establishment-friendly candidate Lake narrowly defeated in the 2022 primary—it became pretty clear that door wasn’t exactly wide open either.
Lake, never one to mince words, laid out why she’s not too eager to dive into another campaign: “We’re not where we need to be on elections. And that’s one of the reasons I don’t want to run again, to be honest. Why put yourself through that torture again?”
REPORT: Kari Lake issues statement on her future in politics - Az Central
"I don't want to run again." pic.twitter.com/bWhpGVDjvP
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 28, 2024
And you know what? She’s not wrong. The 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election was a logistical train wreck, marred by machine errors on Election Day and a secretary of state—Katie Hobbs—overseeing her own election. If there was ever a scenario tailor-made for undermining public confidence in election integrity, that was it. Lake’s frustration with the process is understandable, even if some critics believe she’s leaned a little too heavily on claims of a “rigged” system.
But let’s move past the campaign trail and onto her new role: Director of Voice of America (VOA).
For those unfamiliar, VOA is a U.S. government-funded international broadcaster established during World War II, with a congressional mandate to provide independent, accurate, and objective news to audiences worldwide. Sounds noble, right? Well, in recent years, the supposedly “neutral” outlet has been anything but. During Trump’s first term, VOA became a hub of thinly veiled hostility toward his administration, publishing stories that painted the president in an overwhelmingly negative light. Trump himself called them out, accusing staffers of saying “nasty things about our country.”
So now Kari Lake—former Phoenix news anchor, staunch Trump ally, and someone who knows a thing or two about being on camera—will step into the leadership role at VOA. Critics are already sharpening their knives, claiming she’ll turn the outlet into a megaphone for Trumpian populism. But let’s face it: VOA was hardly an apolitical neutral zone to begin with. If Lake can bring some balance, transparency, and accountability to the organization, she might actually leave it better than she found it.
Lake seems to understand the gravity of her new role, stating in a social media post: “VOA is a vital international media outlet dedicated to advancing the interests of the United States by engaging directly with people across the globe and promoting democracy and truth.”