Conservative firebrand Kari Lake quipped about the Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday, pointing out the futility of the entire exercise when the overwhelming front-runner, former president Donald Trump, would not be participating in the debate against his challengers.
Speaking to Daniel Baldwin of “America News,” Lake argued that the debates would be irrelevant in the absence of the New York real estate tycoon and reality TV star.
“It’s kind of like the kids’ table at Thanksgiving. They’re going to be over there, throwing food and spilling stuff and causing trouble, but no one’s really going to be paying attention, I think, to this debate. I think people are going to be watching Trump and Tucker,” Lake said.
“We have the Babe Ruth, why are we going to have a bunch of tee-ball players running? And so I think most people realize it’s a futile effort, it’s stupid, it would actually hurt America to run against President Trump,” Lake said.
Former President Trump has expressed his intention to bypass the debate. Instead, he plans to appear on a concurrent interview with Tucker Carlson, which many speculate will attract a larger audience than the nationally televised debate on Fox News. Sources close to Trump suggest he feels he leads “by too many points” and believes sharing the stage with candidates polling in single digits might be detrimental to his image.
Among the contenders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy are competing for a distant second place in the polls behind the former president. DeSantis, who initiated his campaign emphasizing the continuation of Trump’s policies without the associated “drama,” has faced challenges, including losing the backing of Fox magnate Rupert Murdoch.
Ramaswamy, on the other hand, has been sycophantic in his staunch support for the 45th president. He has committed to pardoning Trump if elected and has initiated Freedom of Information Act procedures to investigate alleged political interference in Trump’s four criminal indictments.
The debate will also feature South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who recently sustained injuries in a basketball game, remains uncertain about his participation, even though he meets the criteria set by the Republican National Committee.
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