Haley staffer references Meghan McCain in jab at Kari Lake
Following US Senator Kyrsten Sinema's (I-AZ) Tuesday, March 5 announcement that she would not seek reelection in 2024, Republican candidate for Senate Kari Lake, told CNN Wednesday that she plans to "court" Sinema's supporters in efforts to boost her campaign.
The ex-newscaster turned political candidate, who's continued to back Donald Trump in his claims that the 2020 election was rigged, told the news outlet that she also plans to court Nikki Haley supporters after Haley suspended her presidential campaign after Super Tuesday losses.
Speaking with CNN, the failed 2022 gubernatorial candidate "criticized Haley for continuing her campaign against Trump through Super Tuesday and for not endorsing" the MAGA hopeful.
"She’s stayed in all this time and hundreds of millions of dollars has been spent on really what has been a vanity project, and hearing today that she was going to suspend her campaign – and still not endorse President Trump – that’s not unifying,” Lake told the news outlet. "And I think it’s time that she does unify, get behind President Trump."
The failed 2022 gubernatorial candidate isn't known to shy away from publicly criticizing other Republicans — including the former US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) — which, last month, resulted in an online debacle with the late senator's daughter, Meghan McCain.
During one of her 2022 campaign events, Lake called McCain a "loser" and urged his fans to "get the hell out!"
However, the GOP senate hopeful last month attempted to walk back her comments, saying, "It was said in jest. And I think that if John McCain, who had a great sense of humor, would have heard it, he would have laughed." She added, "I want everyone’s vote, whether you are a McCain … if you call yourself a McCain Republican, if you call yourself a middle-of-the-road Republican, a Trump Republican, an America First Republican, I want your vote."
READ MORE: 'No peace': Meghan McCain slams Kari Lake’s attempt to retract insult to her father
Meghan McCain swiftly called out the election denying candidate via X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Kari Lake is trying to walk back her continued attacks on my Dad (& family) and all of his loyal supporters after telling them to 'get the hell out'. Guess she realized she can’t become a Senator without us." McCain emphasized, "No peace, b—ch. We see you for who you are - and are repulsed by it."
Nikki Haley's communications director, Nachama Soloveichik, took a page from McCain's book to hit back at Lake over a comment the Senate hopeful made on social media, writing, "Reports: Nimrata Haley will suspend her campaign today after more humiliating, landslide loses on Super Tuesday."
Soloveichik replied, "No peace, b—ch."
X/Twitter Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday that he would not be "donating money to either candidate for US president."
READ MORE: Reactions explode as Nikki Haley ends 2024 campaign
CNN's full report is available here.
