Kari Lake: "Since when can we not ask questions about our elections?"

He replies to a journalist: "We have freedom of expression in this country. And you, of all people, should appreciate that."

Published by

José Carlos Rodríguez

5 de septiembre, 2022

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Kari Ann Lake is the Republican candidate for governor of Arizona. Lake had criticized President Joe Biden for taking on a discourse of division among Americans, and a reporter throws this question at him:"You say Joe Biden is dividing the country. But don't you think Donald Trump is doing the same thing by telling people, falsely, that he won the election, when he lost it?"

The candidate's response can be seen in this video:

Lake begins by launching a set of questions:

How is that dividing the country? Questioning an election where there are obvious problems is dividing the country? Since when can we not ask questions about our elections? I was a journalist for many years. I was a journalist after 2016. And I distinctly remember many people, just like you, asking a lot of questions about the 2016 election results. And nobody tried to shut you up. Nobody tried to tell Hillary Clinton to shut up. Nobody tried to tell Kamala Harris, when she was questioning the legitimacy of these electronic voting machines to stop.

He then recalls that free speech is recognized in the country. And he points out that journalism is protected by that freedom, so the journalist should value it:

We have freedom of speech in this country. And you, of all people, should appreciate that. You’re supposedly a journalist. You should appreciate that.

The Constitution, in danger

What Kari Lake considers divisive is censorship:

So, I don't see how asking questions about elections where there are many problems is dividing the country. What I do see dividing a country is shutting people down, censoring people, canceling people, trying to destroy people’s lives when they do ask questions.

For all these reasons, the candidate has pledged to defend the Constitution:

Last I’ve heard we still have the Constitution. It is hanging by a thread, thanks to some of the work some people in this area have done. But we’re going to save that Constitution and we’re going to bring back freedom of speech. And maybe someday you’ll thank us for that.