Sen. Mark Kelly: Kari Lake comments ‘could result in people getting hurt or killed’

Kelly Garrity
·2 min read
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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) aired concerns over Arizona Senate hopeful Kari Lake’s call to voters last month to “strap on a Glock” saying Lake’s remarks could get someone injured — or worse.

“It's dangerous,” Kelly told NBC’s Kristen Welker during an interview on “Meet the Press.” “What Kari Lake said could result in people getting hurt or killed.”

The run-up to the election “is going to be intense,” Lake told supporters during a rally in Arizona’s Mohave County. “And we need to strap on our — let’s see. What do we want to strap on? We’re going to strap on … our seat belt. We’re going to put on our helmet or your Kari Lake ball cap. We are going to put on the armor of God. And maybe strap on a Glock on the side of us just in case,” she said.

Lake, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, gained prominence on the right for her obsession with conspiracy theories surrounding the results of the 2020 presidential election during her gubernatorial bid in 2022. She’s since moderated her image and has reached out to some of the members of her own party whom she alienated during her run for governor.

Arizona became the focal point in Trump’s alleged campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 election, an effort that’s since landed his allies in legal jeopardy. An Arizona grand jury late last month indicted 18 Trump allies for their efforts to subvert the 2020 election — including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Boris Epshteyn.

Kelly said Sunday he’s “very concerned” Arizona could see similar efforts this time around.

“We have Kari Lake on the ballot in the Senate race, who is also talking about how the 2020 election was stolen here from Donald Trump. Clearly wasn't," Kelly said. "Same thing in 2022 when she ran for governor. She's on the ballot again. These folks have been indicted. I trust our judicial system, that they're going to go through a process. And however this turns out, we all have to accept what that process is."

Lake is expected to face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in November for the open Senate seat now held by independent Kyrsten Sinema, who chose not to seek another term.