At CPAC, Donald Trump and Kari Lake turn Republican Party into the Donner Party

I’ve never watched “The Walking Dead” or “Fear the Walking Dead” or “The Last of Us” or any other zombie TV series, but I’m beginning to think I may have missed out on some wildly entertaining programs.

Particularly after having spent part of the weekend reading about and watching Republicans at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., eat their own dead.

As well as their living.

Not only were right-wing politicians and their lackeys on the menu, there also were the expected lies and attacks on President Joe Biden and a host of others, including loads of misinformation and wacky conspiracy theories about everything from the FBI to school students to, yes, gas stoves.

CPAC speeches range from evil to messianic

One right-wing speaker, Michael Knowles, even resurrected language that would have resonated in late 1930s Nazi Germany, saying that “for the good of society … transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.”

That’s not just sick and disgusting. It’s evil.

And there was Donald Trump, of course, at his most maniacally messianic, promising to rain down his wrath on Biden, the media, communists, fellow Republican “RINOS,” and telling a crowd, “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.”

Sounds like MAGA is now rewriting the Bible. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the … Donald.

At the same time, one of the more disgustingly delicious items on the MAGA eat MAGA menu was a dust-up between Arizona’s not-so-lovable loser, Kari Lake, and Jenna Ellis, Trump’s former attorney.

Trump attorney calls out Kari Lake for 'grifting'

Ellis was having none of Lake’s ongoing, unproven wild claims of a stolen election, essentially calling Lake a con artist by tweeting:

“She hasn’t and won’t win any of her lawsuits. It’s just fundraising at this point (ie grifting). I was one of the first that endorsed her and supported her as a candidate, but this will set back the conservative movement for election integrity. Instead of false personal attacks (I’m not paid by anyone to tweet for or against Kari, I own what I say – which can’t be said for your account), I’m simply engaging the merits … .”

At CPAC:Kari Lake holds to election denialism

Meantime, Lake spent her time kissing up, literally, to a portrait of Trump. (Yeah, creepy.)

And saying in a speech, “We stand with JFK, Ronald Reagan, (former Trump political adviser) Steve Bannon. We stand with Donald J. Trump.”

Reagan's son slashes Lake's self-righteousness

That, by the way, drew a sharp response from former President Reagan’s son Michael, who tweeted: “My father would be embarrassed for the Republican Party knowing the Kari Lake is speaking at the Ronald Reagan Dinner tonite @CPAC #embarrassing Put Lake on the Ticket in 24 would be guarantee win for Biden.”

Ouch. That’ll take a chunk out of your self-righteousness.

Republicans weren’t just backbiting at this politically cannibalistic wingding, they were frontbiting. All this during a weekend when photos and video showed big rooms with a lot of empty seats and a bunch of bored-looking crowds.

And Lake saying, “I’m not just the most dangerous politician in America – I’m the most dangerous politician in the world because we are not going to let these people win.”

The world? Now I’m confused.

I thought Trump was the messiah.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake and Donald Trump turn Republican Party into Donner Party