Why Kari Lake Is Trying to Make Nice With the McCains

The Lake-McCain feud boiled over this week. The Senate hopeful wants to cool it down.

Republican candidate Kari Lake told Meghan McCain she'd love for them to work together — McCain was not interested.
Republican Kari Lake is making a bid for the U.S. Senate after a failed run for governor. Ross D. Franklin/AP

Arizona Republicans are coming to terms with the fact that Donald Trump’s feud with John McCain and his family is bad politics for the party.

Over the last few months, Senate hopeful Kari Lake has made overtures to the McCain family, a 180-degree turn from saying the late senator’s backers should “get the hell out” of a campaign event when she was running for governor. This week, she tried to walk back that comment and others, saying they were made in jest — only to get hit back with a “no peace, bitch” response from Meghan McCain.

There’s a clear reason why Lake is making these appeals: “She needs McCain supporters,” said a prominent Arizona Republican who supports Lake and requested anonymity to speak about her campaign. “Trump needs them too.”