Kari Lake discusses election integrity, abortion in one-on-one interview

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Republican Kari Lake sat down for a one-on-one televised interview on Sunday evening, discussing important issues affecting Arizona voters. The questions were based on submissions by Arizonans, and the number one question by far had to do with election integrity,

Lake pushed hard on the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Lake went on to win Trump’s endorsement and the primary against then-opponent Karrin Taylor Robson. During the interview, Lake said she didn’t trust this election would be fair but urged her supporters to vote in big numbers. “I think we all know we have to vote. Absolutely, we got to vote and we got to vote in droves, and we have to send a very loud and clear message that we do want honest elections, we do want a secure border, so you have to get out and vote and I believe we can out-vote some of the problems,” she said.

Moderator Mike Broomhead then moved on to another pressing issue — abortion. The state has two competing laws on the books that restrict abortion, a near-total ban tied up in the courts and a ban after 15 weeks. When pressed, Lake wouldn’t say which law she supports. Neither law includes exceptions for rape or incest, but Lake insisted the 15-week ban does.

“Let’s clarify, in cases of incest or rape or the life of the mother, would you sign a piece of legislation that had those exclusions or exceptions in there?” asked Broomhead. “I believe the 15 week bill does have that. I know people say it doesn’t, but at 15 weeks if you’re in any of those circumstances obviously you’re going to know you’re pregnant by four months in, by 15 weeks in,” replied Lake.

On education, Lake voiced her support for the voucher expansion that gives families public money to send kids to private schools. She also blamed standardized testing for poor performance in the classroom. “I think we’re teaching to the test. We want to make sure we’re not doing that any longer; these are things we can do. There’s nothing worse when you can tell a teacher is teaching to the test and you’re not actually teaching children, and so we’re going to pull that kind of program where we’re not having to teach to the test anymore. We’re actually going to stimulate our children’s brains,” she said.

Lake also suggested giving teachers raises and cutting the number of school administrators. In addition, she claimed most shouldn’t be paid more than teachers in the classroom.

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