Kari Lake slams “desperate bid” to “derail” Trump’s 2024 campaign

Former GOP Arizona governor hopeful Kari Lake has hit out at claims that Donald Trump is set to be arrested over hush money payments, describing them as a “ludicrous” effort to jail the former president and “derail” his 2024 campaign.

Lake, a staunch supporter of Trump, was reacting to the former president suggesting that he will be arrested on Tuesday in connection with the investigation into the $130,000 his lawyer Michael Cohen paid adult film star Stormy Daniels to reportedly keep an alleged affair she had with Trump a secret ahead of the 2016 Election.

Trump endorsed Lake in her gubernatorial election, which the Republican lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs in November by more than 17,000 votes. Since then, Lake has remained loyal to the former president and embarked on a Trump-esque campaign of claiming voting irregularities cost her the midterm election, including filing a series of lawsuits attempting to overturn the results.

In a lengthy statement, Lake suggested that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office’s investigation is politically motivated and that prosecuting your political opponents is “something you’d expect to see in third-world Banana Republics.”

“But it’s coming to America, and that should scare the hell out of us. For nearly a decade, the radical left and their willing sycophants in the media have put President Donald Trump through absolute hell,” Lake said.

“Accusation after accusation. Investigation after investigation. And they’ve come away with nothing. Now, in their desperation to derail his re-election, we see this ludicrous effort to jail him on the flimsiest campaign finance violations they can find.”

Lake also backed Trump’s calls for his supporters to protest should he be arrested on Tuesday, with fears the former president’s base may resort to violence to object to his detainment.

“We cannot allow this political persecution to exist in our country. The President has called for peaceful protests. And I would remind his critics that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution grants us the right to peaceably assemble,” Lake said.

“We cannot allow ourselves to live in such fear of the left’s infiltration that we surrender our God-given rights without them even asking.

“This is the time to speak out. This is the time for the silent majority to roar. You have a voice. USE IT. And make it very clear that we stand with President Donald Trump, and all Americans who are under attack by the corrupt political machine.”

In a separate tweet, Lake said she had spoken to Trump on the phone and that he sounded “incredible, despite the endless political persecution.”

“His resolve to fight for us has never been stronger. We must all stand alongside him & be strong in our support of him. Now, more than ever, we need that man back in office,” Lake added.

Trump’s spokesperson confirmed that, barring the former president’s social media posts, there has been no official indication that the Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg will “take his Witch-Hunt to the next level” and arrest Trump on Tuesday.

“President Trump is rightfully highlighting his innocence and the weaponization of our injustice system,” the spokesperson told Newsweek.

Newsweek has contacted Donald Trump’s office for further comment via email.