There are rumblings from Donald Trump insiders that the former president is growing increasingly concerned that former TV personality Kari Lake will blow the GOP's chances of picking up a Senate seat and that her unpopularity in Arizona will also hurt his re-election chances.
It was previously reported that the former president became annoyed with Lake because she was causing him problems with his wife Melania because of her constant presence at his Mar-a-Lago resort. On Monday, the Washington Post reported the rift also was based over Trump's concerns she is not out doing enough campaigning.
As the report notes, the race to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) is one of the most closely watched in the 2024 election and Lake, a political novice with one failed bid for statewide office in 2022, is expected to face Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
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Adding to Lake's woes is her undoing the damage of her attacking Arizona's McCain Republicans whom she disparaged during her losing 2022 bid, as well as distrust from GOP higher-ups in her state who are still furious with her for secretly recording the former state party chair asking her to reconsider running.
According to the new Post report, there is growing tension between the Trump and Lake camps that she will be a detriment in a close election and that Trump has had to urge her to decamp from Mar-a-Lago and get to work winning over voters.
The Post report notes, "... since Lake jumped into the race, Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about her political prospects in a state he sees as key to his bid to return to the White House, and has shownannoyance with her frequent presence at his Florida resort, according to five people close to him, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe his comments."
"At one point last year, after grumbling for months that she was at his Mar-a-Lago Club too often,Trump gently suggested to Lake that she should leave the club and hit the campaign trail in Arizona," the report continued before adding, "Trump has also asked others if she can really win in Arizona and if she might drag down his own poll numbers as he seeks the presidency again in 2024, advisers said."
"Trump’s frustration with Lake has only increased over the past year, heightening the tension," the Post report adds, and then notes that the former president is still aggravated she failed to acquire the governorship in the pivotal state, grumbling to a friend at Mar-a-Lago, 'She didn't win.'"
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