The Arizona Republic

Trump and Lake turn the GOP into Donner Party

- EJ Montini Columnist Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK

I’ve never watched “The Walking Dead” or “Fear the Walking Dead” or “The Last of Us” or any other zombie TV series, but I’m beginning to think I may have missed out on some wildly entertaini­ng programs.

Particular­ly after having spent part of the weekend reading about and watching Republican­s at the Conservati­ve Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., eat their own dead. As well as their living.

Not only were right-wing politician­s and their lackeys on the menu, there also were the expected lies and attacks on President Joe Biden and a host of others, including loads of misinforma­tion and wacky conspiracy theories about everything from the FBI to school students to, yes, gas stoves.

One right-wing speaker, Michael Knowles, even resurrecte­d language that would have resonated in late 1930s Nazi Germany, saying that “for the good of society ... transgende­rism must be eradicated from public life entirely.”

That’s not just sick and disgusting. It’s evil.

And there was Donald Trump, of course, at his most maniacally messianic, promising to rain down his wrath on Biden, the media, communists, fellow Republican “RINOS,” and telling a crowd, “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retributio­n.”

Sounds like MAGA is now rewriting the Bible. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the ... Donald.

At the same time, one of the more disgusting­ly delicious items on the MAGA eat MAGA menu was a dust-up between Arizona’s not-so-lovable loser, Kari Lake, and Jenna Ellis, Trump’s former attorney.

Ellis was having none of Lake’s ongoing, unproven wild claims of a stolen election, essentiall­y calling Lake a con artist by tweeting:

“She hasn’t and won’t win any of her lawsuits. It’s just fundraisin­g at this point (ie grifting). I was one of the first that endorsed her and supported her as a candidate, but this will set back the conservati­ve movement for election integrity. Instead of false personal attacks (I’m not paid by anyone to tweet for or against Kari, I own what I say – which can’t be said for your account), I’m simply engaging the merits.”

Meantime, Lake spent her time kissing up, literally, to a portrait of Trump. (Yeah, creepy.)

And saying in a speech, “We stand with JFK, Ronald Reagan, (former Trump political adviser) Steve Bannon. We stand with Donald J. Trump.”

That, by the way, drew a sharp response from former President Reagan’s son Michael, who tweeted: “My father would be embarrasse­d for the Republican Party knowing the Kari

Lake is speaking at the Ronald Reagan Dinner.”

Ouch. That’ll nibble at your selfrighte­ousness.

Republican­s weren’t just backbiting at this politicall­y cannibalis­tic wingding, they were frontbitin­g. All this during a weekend when photos and video showed big rooms with a lot of empty seats and a bunch of boredlooki­ng “crowds.”

And Lake saying, “I’m not just the most dangerous politician in America – I’m the most dangerous politician in the world because we are not going to let these people win.”

The world? Now I’m confused. I thought was the messiah.

 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States