The Scoop
Kari Lake is a leading contender for the nomination as Donald Trump’s ambassador to Mexico, two people familiar with the situation told Semafor.
Lake won Trump’s endorsement in both her unsuccessful bids for statewide office in Arizona. The former news anchor and vocal proponent of stringent border security lost an Arizona Senate bid last month to Democratic Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego. She also lost a race for Arizona governor in 2022, although she has never officially acknowledged that result.
A staunch Trump ally, Lake has remained close to the president-elect over the last few years, backing his unproven claims that the 2020 election was stolen. During her most recent run for office, Lake sought to moderate some of her positions, particularly on the topic of abortion.
She also made efforts to mend fences with some establishment Republicans whom she had sparred with in the past.
A Trump transition spokesperson declined to comment.
Know More
Lake has echoed Trump in backing strict limits on immigration. On the campaign trail, Lake described the influx of migrants entering the US as an “invasion.”
She campaigned on finishing the wall at the US southern border, increasing the number of judges who hear asylum claims, stepping up quick deportations of undocumented immigrants who cross outside official ports of entry and building additional border detention facilities.
As US ambassador to Mexico, Lake would be responsible for engaging with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government on a host of contentious issues, including migration, counternarcotics, and Trump’s pledge to enact new tariffs on imports.
The position would require confirmation by the GOP-controlled Senate, meaning she could only afford to lose three Republican votes assuming no Democrats vote to confirm her.
Notable
- In an op-ed published by the Arizona Republic, Elvia Diaz argued that Lake “would be a disastrous ambassador” to Mexico. The piece came amid rumors among Mexican journalists that Lake could be in the mix.
- Trump recently tapped another high-profile ex-GOP candidate for an ambassadorial position: Former senator David Perdue as US ambassador to China.