The Arizona Republic

Lake gets roasted for ‘completely insane lies’

- EJ Montini Columnist Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarep­ublic.com.

Zoologists, particular­ly those who specialize in ethology (the study of animal behavior), will tell you that in the natural world, when it is a matter of life and death, animals will do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means eating their own.

This is also true in politics. Republican­s hoping to get the presidenti­al nomination and their starving sycophants are actively engaged in political cannibalis­m.

It happened recently, when Kari Lake, failed Arizona governor candidate and wannabe proxy for Donald Trump, was eaten alive by an official with Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’s presidenti­al campaign for, as it was described, “telling completely insane lies” about DeSantis’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a podcast interview, Lake said in part that DeSantis “did force vaccines. He did force face masks on our kids.”

She said, “DeSantis took a page out of (California Governor) Gavin Newsom’s playbook,” adding, “He tries to act like he was perfect ...... He forced vaccines on people and workers. He forced face masks on children, and he was for all that.”

It wasn’t long before Lake was getting chewed out and chewed on by DeSantis supporters and even some of her own faithful.

The press secretary for DeSantis’ presidenti­al campaign, Bryan Griffin, wrote online, “This is a flat-out lie from @KariLake and she should be ashamed to say it. When it was least popular, and often while standing alone, @RonDeSanti­s did the things she’s only now chirping about supporting.”

Rapid Response Director for DeSantis’ 2024 campaign Christina Pushaw kept gnawing on Lake even after Lake posted online an attempt to defuse the dustup that began, “We could spend decades blaming each other for the Covid response ... I just don’t think that’s the most productive use of our time.”

Pushaw posted on X, formally Twitter, “As soon as she (Lake) started taking the heat for lying, she posted this telling us it’s time to move on from Covid. Yeah not happening.”

It’s weirdly fascinatin­g to watch surrogates from one witless political campaign cannibaliz­e a surrogate from another witless political campaign.

It’s the type of not-so-fine dining of which most rational men and women will never partake.

Although, from a safe distance, we still find it delicious.

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