Kari Lake confronts Senator Gallego over cartel accusations

Kari Lake, a former candidate for governor and senator in Arizona, confronted Senator Ruben Gallego during an unexpected meeting at a private club near the White House. The club hosts numerous media personalities and politicians. Lake, who now works as a special advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, greeted Gallego warmly at first. However, she quickly asked him, “How does it feel to be bought and paid for by the cartels?” This comment caught Gallego and Michigan Representative Haley Stevens by surprise. During the election campaign last year, Lake claimed Gallego was linked to drug cartels, based on allegations about his father. PolitiFact labeled her claim as false. Gallego’s father had a troubled past, but there is no evidence linking him directly to cartels. After their encounter, Gallego expressed disappointment in himself for responding to Lake. He noted that he had avoided confrontation for two years but felt compelled to reply when she asked how he could live with himself. Gallego’s retort was, “Easily — I won.” In a response to the incident, columnist Phil Boas criticized Lake, suggesting she misrepresents her Christian beliefs by blaming Gallego for his father's past. Gallego has spoken about his tough upbringing and his determination to overcome it, saying he was not going to remain poor or defined by his father's actions.