This week, GOP Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake caused controversy when she endorsed Jarrin Jackson — an Oklahoma legislator who has proclaimed that “the Jews” are evidence that “evil exists” and that “Jews will go to hell.”
On Friday, a member of Congress demanded to know whether she endorses those views — and she responded with a bizarre attack insinuating he may have associated with a Chinese spy.
“Only reason @KariLake supports an antisemite or a homophobe for office is because she is both,” tweeted Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) in response to the news of Lake’s endorsement of Jackson. Lake responded by posting a picture of Gallego riding camels with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and saying, “Are we playing the guilt by association game, @RubenGallego? How’s your friend Eric doing? Did he introduce you to Fang Fang?”
The “Fang Fang” remark is a reference to a story that Swalwell was targeted by a Chinese spy named Christine Fang in 2012. After associating briefly, the FBI informed him of her actual intentions, at which point Swalwell cut all ties to her and provided all the information he could — which experts have broadly said is the correct procedure when targeted by foreign spies. Swalwell has never been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in this incident.
Gallego responded to this with another tweet asking, “Just say whether you agree with the candidate you endorsed. Should “jews go to hell”? He followed up when there was no response, tweeting, “Hi still here. Are you still endorsing the Anti-Semite?”
This is not the first time Lake has been accused of associating with anti-Semitic figures.
Last November, CNN’s KFILE reported that Lake posed at a campaign event with Greyson Arnold, “a Nazi sympathizer who has a history of making White nationalist, racist, antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements, including once calling Adolf Hitler “a complicated historical figure which many people misunderstand.” Last month, Lake was also endorsed by Andrew Torba, the CEO of far-right social network Gab and an outspoken anti-Semite who has warned Jews to stay off his platform and claimed America is run by a “Judeo-Bolshevik” society. Lake’s campaign disavowed this endorsement, saying she “absolutely denounces bigotry in all its forms,” although some other Arizona GOP candidates, like secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, both touted it.
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