(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) Kari Lake, the loyal ally of President-elect Donald Trump who was twice denied top political posts in Arizona under highly suspicious circumstances, will get a job in the Trump administration overseeing the international broadcast network Voice of America.
“She will be appointed by, and work closely with, our next head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who I will announce soon, to ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media,” Trump said in a statement announcing the new appointment, one of several evening announcements on Wednesday.
“Kari was a beloved News Anchor in Arizona, which supported me by record margins, for over 20 years,” Trump added, appearing to gloss over Lake’s own political snubs.
Election irregularities plagued Maricopa County in 2020, prompting a state-commissioned election audit, and in 2022, prompting a series of unsuccessful lawsuits from Lake after her razor-thin gubernatorial loss to then Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.
Lake again narrowly lost a U.S. Senate race this year to Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego, but only after more than a week of extra ballot tabulation, during which some counties refused to say how many total ballots there were in their frequently fluctuating totals.
BREAKING: @KariLake's Attorney Sends Letter To Pima County, Arizona Due To Continuously Changing Total Outstanding Ballot Count.
"We Are Seeking Complete Transparency…& A Complete Accounting As To Discrepancies That Have Been Identified In The Publicly Reported Data." pic.twitter.com/anbxNVEmYg— John Basham (@JohnBasham) November 9, 2024
But with Trump having clearly won the state on election night, there was little appetite for legal challenges at the Republican National Committee, where Lake had received only nominal support throughout her campaign.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Lake graciously accepted defeat by thanking her supporters while not specifically conceding the race.
“For 30 years you trusted me to bring the news into your homes, to tell you the truth,” Lake said in her concession speech. “About three years ago, I walked away from a seven figure contract in the fake news because I couldn’t lie to you. What good is money if it comes at the cost of your soul?”
In stark contrast with her previous race, during which she told supporters that she would “never stop fighting” she said this time that they would “never stop mattering to me.”
Here's my message to Arizona: ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/0RB3Ha17Ct
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) November 14, 2024
Because of her high-profile status and former closeness with Trump, Lake’s name was floated for a number of different positions in his incoming administration. She was spotted at Mar-a-Lago, fueling additional speculation of an impending appointment.
While many saw her as a serious contender for press secretary due to her media background—or possibly a spot with the Federal Election Commission due to her firsthand knowledge of vote fraud—her tough stance on immigration had most recently fueled rumors that she might be considered for ambassador to Mexico.
Trump quelled that on Monday with his appointment of Ronald Johnson—a retired Green Beret and CIA agent who previously served as the top diplomat in El Salvador, “where he worked tirelessly with Salvadoran authorities and our team to reduce violent crime and illegal migration to the lowest levels in History.”
But seemingly in response to the media’s speculation, his announcement on Lake came just a day later.
According to its website, Voice of America “is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in nearly 50 languages to an estimated weekly audience of more than 354 million people.”
Created during World War II, VOA has operated since the 1970s under a charter that establishes its editorial independence.
“The long-range interests of the United States are served by communicating directly with the peoples of the world by radio,” says the website. “To be effective, the Voice of America must win the attention and respect of listeners.”
Ben Sellers is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.
