Arizona gubernatorial candidate brutally taunts CNN reporter

Republican Arizona gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake drew attention recently for her treatment of a CNN reporter who tried to get an interview with Lake. 

Lake was leaving an event with an entourage when she was approached by the reporter. 

“Hi, Kari, nice to see you. Kyung Lah from CNN,” the reporter introduced herself, offering her hand. 

“You don’t have a mask on anymore, what’s going on?” Lake taunted as she shook Lah’s hand. CNN has been known for its vociferous support for mask mandates, shaming those who choose not to wear them, even as its reporters flout COVID rules. 

“Well, we’re outside,” Lah replied, smiling. “Do you have a minute to chat?” 

“We’re six feet apart,” Lake interjected, and Lah asked again, “Do you have a minute to chat?”  

“Um, I’ll do an interview,” Lake said, but added: “As long as it airs on CNN+. Does that still exist?” 

“Ah, no,” Lah replied. 

CNN+ was a subscription-based streaming service the network rolled out in March with great fanfare, even snagging then-Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. But three weeks after launch, the network was humiliated when it was forced to abandon the program at a $300 million loss. 

Lake went on to mock CNN. “I didn’t think so, because the people don’t like what you guys are peddling, which is propaganda. Thank you,” she said to laughter before she walked away, leaving the reporter speechless. 

This was not the first time Lake traded barbs with members of the mainstream media. 

While Lake campaigns on securing the border and election integrity, she has positioned herself as the media’s Enemy #1. As part of her campaign, she released an ad to play during commercial breaks on mainstream media channels in which she says, “If you’re watching this ad right now, it means you’re in the middle of watching a fake news program.”  

But Lake became particularly popular after a volatile interview in March on 60 Minutes in which she walked off the set.  

Speaking with Australian Liam Bartlett, Lake was subjected to the treatment that the Left-wing program often reserves for Republicans, which is to tie them to Trump and try to discredit them based on that.  

Bartlett began asking Lake about the January 6th rally at the Capitol and the integrity of the 2020 election, saying that “your man Donald” had called it a lie.  

But Lake went on the offensive.  

“Why did you say that?” she said, adding “I'm still amazed that you say that. That's just so disrespectful... It's just the flippant attitude. It's just, it's obvious you're trying to twist this to make me look bad.”  

At one point, Lake began attacking Bartlett’s native Australia for its government’s authoritarian approach to COVID-19. “You can sit in Australia without your rights, but we have rights here, ok?” Lake said, to which Barlett reacted by calling her “xenophobic” and said it was “comical” to suggest that government officials and media are corrupt.  

“I hope the people of Australia are waking up to the media,” she replied. “This is a perfect example of the insanity of the media.”  

Then, she went after Bartlett himself.  

“I don’t live in Australia – are you actually a respectable journalist there or are you kind of considered a joke?” she asked Bartlett.  

There was a pause as the 60 Minutes reporter appeared to search for a response, finally saying, “That’s the Donald Trump way, isn’t it? It’s ‘fake news’, all of a sudden it’s ‘fake news’. If you have a different narrative, it’s ‘fake news’.”  

“Liam, sir,” Lake cut in. “I worked in the news for 30 years, I get how it works. It’s hit rock bottom and it keeps going lower. I don’t know if you have viewers who still watch, but here in America people are tuning out the corporate media.”  

“Really.”  

“Yeah, they are. They really are. Sorry to tell you that. Your days are numbered, buddy. If you want to keep pushing propaganda, your days are numbered.”  

Lake then defended the Australian people.  

“They’re being abused by their leaders, they have no rights, and their media is continuing to try to brainwash them,” Lake said before rounding on Bartlett again. “You were probably one of the guys pushing the fear. Pushing the fear with COVID, so that people would stay in their homes and wouldn’t go out and that the children would be masked. You were probably one of the guys pushing that fear on your TV station.”  

“And I’ll tell you what,” she continued. “The masking of children, the torture of the people – people are never going to forgive you for that. And they’re never going to forget.”  

Lake also confronted Bartlett about whether he masks his own children.  

“So I suppose you’re the kind of guy that masks your children, right?” Lake charged.  

“Well I-I suppose you’re the sort of woman who also believes the moon landing was a conspiracy,” Bartlett tried to retort. “I mean, how many –”   

 “Oh my goodness. So are you masking your children, is that your way of not answering? Are you masking your children, your beautiful children’s faces?” pushed Lake.  

There was a pause and Bartlett tried to bring it back to Trump, saying “this is what Trump does”, but Lake cut him short, calling him “comical”.  

“Actually thank you for giving me a good laugh,” she said, “because you make some of the crazy reporters and people at CNN look almost respectable. So thank you sir, I appreciate your time.”  

As Lake walked out, she remarked to one of the crew members, “That guy's a complete nut, Seriously, a complete insane person. Do people in Australia listen to him? That's the craziest thing I've ever experienced."