Like her idol, Mr. Trump, the Republican nominee revels in naked baiting of an opponent and is able to command a similar level of adoration at her rallies. Some see Ms. Lake as an even more powerful activist than he because her good looks and sophisticated presence are a more palatable offering to voters who are not in love with Mr. Trump. Ms Lake has leaned into the comparisons, often saying: “You can call me Trump in a dress any day.” But unlike the fiery former president, she is adept at changing her style and tone to appeal to a wider base. In press conferences, he blasts journalists with attacks on their organizations to the delight of the crowd. But in small gatherings she offers a softer approach, framing her answers through her lens as a mother and Christian. Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist whose group is spending millions to oppose Ms. Lake and Mr. Finchem, described this powerful mix as the ability to “speak normal to normal and crazy to crazy.”
A poor Catholic background
The youngest of nine children, Ms. Lake was raised in a poor Catholic home in rural Iowa by her teacher father and nurse mother. She has made much of her biography and campaign credentials, describing how she paid for her communications degree by working as a floor waxing janitor. She began her television career as a weather forecaster before landing a hosting role on Phoenix. She says she left her local Fox station because she came to see the media as “immoral.” Some of her former colleagues have expressed skepticism about Ms. Lake’s transformation, pointing to her past support for Mr. Obama and harassment of Buddhism. “I don’t know if she really, really thinks Trump won the election,” says Steve Krafft, who worked alongside Ms. Lake at Fox 10. “Or if it’s just an avenue to become governor. It’s a mystery to me. “ To the deep-red Republican public, Ms. Lake is the real deal. “He walked away from a 30-year career to be able to serve the people of Arizona,” said John Mendibles, executive director of a local veterans association. “That says something.” Gina Woodall, a political scientist at Arizona State University, said she would label Cary Lake “as the new face of MAGA Republicanism.” “It absolutely makes Trumpism look mainstream,” he told AFP.
