Another Kari Lake Freakout! Accosted Sen. Gallego At DC Club

Summary

Bulwark Takes: Another Kari Lake Freakout! Accosted Sen. Gallego At DC Club
Release Date: March 18, 2025
Host: Tim Miller
Guest: Adrian Carrasquillo

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Introduction

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, host Tim Miller engages in a lively discussion with Adrian Carrasquillo, the author of The Bulwark's Huddled Masses newsletter. While the newsletter typically focuses on immigration policy, today's conversation veers into the tumultuous behavior of former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. The central event under scrutiny is Lake’s confrontational interactions with Senator Ruben Gallego at the exclusive political venue, Ned's Club, in Washington, D.C.

Encounter at Ned's Club

Setting the Scene

Adrian introduces the context of the encounter at Ned's Club, an exclusive, members-only venue akin to Soho House, frequented by prominent Democrats, Republicans, and media personalities. Located near the White House, the club offers panoramic views of significant landmarks and boasts a sophisticated rooftop area.

• Tim Miller [00:25]: "I had a banana nut muffin this morning. All right, Adrian, tell us what I was."
• Adrian Carrasquillo [00:57]: "I think I'll start with what is Ned's club? What is this private member, sort of Soho House for politics club."

Kari Lake's Confrontation with Sen. Gallego

During an event at Ned's Club, Kari Lake approached Senator Ruben Gallego as he was exiting towards the elevator. Instead of a customary handshake, Lake delivered a hostile remark questioning Gallego's integrity and insinuating corruption.

• Kari Lake's Accusation [03:25]: "You care. You say you care about the fentanyl crisis and our kids."
• Lake [02:30]: "What does it feel like to be bought and paid for by the cartels?"

Senator Gallego's Response

Sen. Gallego maintained composure despite the aggressive confrontation, asserting his dedication to Arizona and expressing disappointment over Lake's tactics.

• Ruben Gallego [04:04]: "I talked about that all the time of the campaign trail. I'm sorry you weren't with me."
• Gallego [04:22]: "I'm sorry that we don't agree on everything, but what I am not sorry about is that I think that you... I do believe that we can agree that we both love America."

Tim Miller's Interview with Kari Lake

Tim recounts a separate, more personal encounter where he interviewed Kari Lake during a MAGA conference. Unlike her interaction with Gallego, Lake exhibited a more intimate and unsettling demeanor.

• Tim Miller [03:25]: "She does the two hand thing to me, and goes to like, touch my hands and be like, we both love this country."
• Kari Lake [03:25]: "Here's the thing. You care. You say you care about the fentanyl crisis and our kids."

Tim describes feeling uncomfortable with Lake's physical approach and candid hostility.

Second Encounter: Hostile Confrontation at a Brewery

In another instance, Tim details an encounter at a brewery where Lake exhibited heightened aggression, verbalizing harsh insults and baseless accusations without provocation.

• Kari Lake [05:05]: "You're a piece of shit. You're a piece of shit."
• Tim Miller [05:07]: "So a little bit slightly more hostile to me, I guess, than to Ruben."

During this encounter, Laura Loomer, a known far-right figure, intervened to de-escalate the situation, highlighting the intensity of Lake's behavior.

• Tim Miller [05:07]: "Laura Loomer... was like, calm down, basically to Carrie and she like Laura Loomer de escalated our encounter."

Analysis: Kari Lake's Behavioral Patterns

Adrian and Tim delve into Kari Lake's consistent pattern of confrontational and aggressive behavior, attributing it to her deep alignment with MAGA ideologies and consumption of partisan media like Newsmax.

• Adrian Carrasquillo [07:08]: "He [Gallego] does not have connections to the cartel, obviously. But anyway, I just found it like so interesting that he was actually like, no, this caught me off guard because I didn't. She would be this crazy in person, basically."
• Tim Miller [07:32]: "Karin Lake, she's out there. Be careful if you see her, you know, any of you. Just fair warning, if you run into Carrie Lake at a grocery store, she might come for you."

The discussion underscores Lake's isolation from factual discourse, suggesting her immersion in echo chambers reinforces her extreme viewpoints.

• Adrian Carrasquillo [08:45]: "She is insulated from facts because she is. She surrounds herself with people that talk like this and that think like this."

Conclusion

The episode encapsulates Kari Lake's volatile confrontations with political figures, portraying her as a fervent MAGA supporter whose aggressive demeanor poses challenges in bipartisan discourse. Tim and Adrian analyze the implications of such behavior on political interactions and the broader societal fabric.

• Tim Miller [09:44]: "Go sign up for subtle messages. There's a lot of other very substantive immigration news, so go check that out on the bulwark dot com."

The conversation wraps up with a nod to Adrian's reporting on these incidents, encouraging listeners to engage with more in-depth coverage on The Bulwark's platforms.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Kari Lake [02:30]: "What does it feel like to be bought and paid for by the cartels?"
• Ruben Gallego [04:22]: "I'm sorry that we don't agree on everything, but what I am not sorry about is that I think that you... I do believe that we can agree that we both love America."
• Kari Lake [05:05]: "You're a piece of shit. You're a piece of shit."
• Adrian Carrasquillo [08:45]: "She is insulated from facts because she is. She surrounds herself with people that talk like this and that think like this."

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Key Takeaways

• Kari Lake's Aggressive Behavior: Multiple confrontations highlight Lake's hostile approach towards political opponents.
• Impact on Political Discourse: Such behavior exacerbates tensions and undermines constructive dialogue.
• Media Influence: Lake's alignment with partisan media outlets contributes to her extreme viewpoints.
• Sen. Gallego's Composure: Despite provocations, Gallego maintains professionalism, showcasing a stark contrast to Lake's tactics.
• The Role of Exclusive Clubs: Venues like Ned's Club serve as hotspots for political interactions but can also become arenas for intense personal confrontations.

For more detailed analysis and updates on immigration policy and political dynamics, visit The Bulwark.

Transcript

[Tim Miller]

Hey, guys, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. I am here with the author of our Huddled Masses newsletter, which usually focuses on immigration, Adrian Carrasquillo. But today's edition is a little. You can do immigration policy and page six, crazy MAGA lady gossip all in one newsletter. Right, That's. That's what makes it special.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

I like to bring the carbs in with the good stuff, you know, with the vegetables.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, okay. That's. That's good. Yeah. I had a banana nut muffin this morning. All right, Adrian, tell us what I was. So. I thought I was special. And I. The only one that Carrie Lake weirdly confronted at parties. But I guess Senator Ruben Gallego also got a taste of the lake monster. The newest head of voa. We don't. It's unclear what she does at VOA now since we're just dismantling all voa, but she's the head of an organization that we're dismantling. She's a failed gubernatorial and Senate candidate. She lost to Ruben Gallego. And you are reporting exclusively that she had some sour grapes with him after the loss. Tell us about that.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

Yeah, and I think I'll start with what is Ned's club? What is this private member, sort of Soho House for politics club. And.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, because I'd never heard of it. So that shows you where I'm at. You're a big deal podcaster. I don't care.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

I thought you would have known about it, but basically, I got invited by a member, and, you know, it's like Dana Bash and Simone Sanders are holding court, Democrats are coming in and out, and Republican Trump administration folks are coming in and out. So apparently, as Gallego one day.

[Tim Miller]

Where. Hold on. Before you go. Where is this place?

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

Where's the club? It's near the White House. You can actually get a great view of the White House in the Washington Monument. I don't remember the. Exactly street, but.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, it's like on a rooftop.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

Yeah, there's a rooftop as well. There's like. It's like a former bank building. So.

[Tim Miller]

Hey, Ned's Club people. What the. Where. Like, what am I. What do I. How many. You know, what do I got to do over. Where do I got to get on the podcast charts? All right. To get invited. Okay.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

A little pricey. I don't know if. If Bulwark will. Expensive. But. So basically, as Gallego's going towards the elevator, leaving, I guess Carrie Lake is coming in, or she's by there, and he goes to shake her hand. And she does the two hand clasp, which is normally like very lovely, warm greeting. And instead she says, what does it feel like to be bought and paid for by the cartels? Obviously a gross comment to say to somebody. She said this stuff like on Newsmax before, but to say it in front of the person. So, you know, look, he said that his wife was disappointed in him because he didn't take the bait for two years. And like, as he was getting out of there, getting into the elevator, you know, he said, it feels fine, like, I won, you know, so, yeah, it was pretty.

[Tim Miller]

I won. The two hands is a. Is a classic move of hers. I was interviewing Carrie back when I was working for the circus, and this is a weird situation. This is so just to kind of show you that this is sort of her mo. I didn't. We weren't even planning on interviewing her. I forget who we were there to interview. Bannon. It was at one of these MAGA confabs, and Carrie's people told me that she wanted to be interviewed by me. And we've had a couple pretty hostile interviews before, so I was kind of surprised by this. And so we go into some room that they apparently had like fishbowl cameras set up in so they could get like secret video of it. And she does the thing the same, the two hand thing to me, and goes to like, touch my hands and be like, we both love this country. And I like, I was like, please don't touch me. So. Well, we. We have a little clip.

[Carrie Lake]

Here's the thing. You care. You say you care about the fentanyl crisis and our kids.

[Ruben Gallego]

I deep care deeply.

[Carrie Lake]

So if you care so deeply about this, couldn't you, couldn't you actually do something about it? If you stopped the bullshit about the last election? If you had just acknowledged that Trump had lost and acknowledged that you had lost, you'd probably. You might probably be in good shape to do something. You probably would have won your governor's race had you just talked about things people cared about instead of the election fraud. So sometimes, don't you ever think to yourself, I wish I could just stop talking about this fake thing that Donald Trump made me make up so that I could actually talk about the stuff that's important. Because we agree about fentanyl. I agree. I wish we could deal with that.

[Ruben Gallego]

I talked about that all the time of the campaign trail. I'm sorry you weren't with me. I'm sorry you weren't with me every step of the way. The people of Arizona understand Me, and they know me, and they care about me, and I care about them, and I care about them getting them better, freeing the people who are held politically political prisoners. Yeah, absolutely.

[Carrie Lake]

I think you are still a little extreme. That's okay, though. It's good to see you again.

[Ruben Gallego]

It's wonderful. That's right. I'd love to.

[Tim Miller]

We have some areas of agreement.

[Carrie Lake]

We agree on the fentanyl thing, and then you get into the other stuff, but the other stuff.

[Ruben Gallego]

Sorry, I'm not making. I'm sorry I'm not making you happy.

[Carrie Lake]

The other stuff is.

[Tim Miller]

I don't know why you're touching me.

[Carrie Lake]

The other stuff is what you have to do to win is the thing.

[Ruben Gallego]

I'm a mom. I'm sorry.

[Carrie Lake]

I'm a mom. I like to touch, too, but, you know, in an interview setting, it's a little uncomfortable.

[Ruben Gallego]

I'm sorry that we don't agree on everything, but what I am not sorry about is that I think that you. I do believe that we can agree that we both love America.

[Carrie Lake]

We do. Well, I know that I love America. I do think that you were okay with Donald Trump trying to end the American experiment last time. So that makes me wonder how sincere your love is. But I do appreciate it.

[Ruben Gallego]

Thank you for your time.

[Tim Miller]

Good.

[Carrie Lake]

Thank you for your time.

[Tim Miller]

So there you go, Adrian. So that was one. So I've been touched by her in an appropriate way then. The other time was recently. This was not on video. I was not at the Ned's Club. I was at a brewery or something. A more. Much more low bar, hang with some MAGA folks for a conference. I was covering. And she sees me and comes around the corner, and I don't. I don't know what her alcohol intake is. So I don't want to. I don't want to, you know, impugn someone. So I don't exactly know whether she was drinking or not. I will say that her eyes did not look particularly steady. Take that for what it's worth. And she starts, like, screaming at me. She starts screaming, you are a piece of shit. Over and over again. You're a piece of shit. You're a piece of shit. So a little bit slightly more hostile to me, I guess, than to Reuben. And she also made some accusations. She didn't say I was in the back of the cartels, but she said that I don't care about fentanyl mothers, that I'm fake news, I'm a liar. And, like, it was so insane of an encounter that even Laura Loomer the like conspiracy theorist, far right weirdo came up and like, to our carrier and was like, calm down, basically to Carrie and she like Laura Loomer de escalated our encounter, which shows you how crazy Carrie was acting. And so this is kind of her MO and it seems like in your reporting that like, that there were similarly. There were like other people around.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

Yeah.

[Tim Miller]

Like, what is that? What is happening?

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

Yeah, Representative Haley Stevens from Michigan was there. And what I heard, she was within earshot and was just sort of like horrified and was like, how can you talk like that to a U.S. senator? And I think what I found interesting is like, you know, Gallego's former US Marine tough guy. I mean, he told me, like, yeah, I was actually taken aback. I was hurt by it because I thought this was all an act that she was doing, like for the newsmaxes of the world and for X and stuff like that. And he, you know, his, he's been open that his father had a criminal, criminal history. But for her to say that he's, you know, in a cartel and this stuff and he tied it to just like how he has rejected the criminality of his father throughout his whole life. So his family.

[Tim Miller]

I missed that. What is his father's history? I actually don't know this.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

So he was like, you know, he had some, some possession of cocaine and marijuana with intention to sell or something like that. So she's just like elevating this to the stratosphere. Like some crazy, you know, PolitiFact rated it, pants on fire. He does not have connections to the cartel, obviously. But anyway, I just found it like so interesting that he was actually like, no, this caught me off guard because I didn't. She would be this crazy in person, basically.

[Tim Miller]

No, I can report that she's fully red pilled. And like I said, I did a lot of covering of Kerry in the midterm in the governor's race, more than in the senate race in 22 and the failed governor's race, but a little bit in the Senate race and then since. And this was like a big question that I asked a lot to people on our staff. Republicans in Arizona, I've kind of a lot of Republican Arizona connections from past work for McCain and elsewhere. And like, basically the consensus, and it's funny that Ruben kind of didn't. It's almost too crazy to believe. Right. So you understand why Ruben wouldn't even believe it. But it's like the consensus is that like she's fully taken the red pill. She like goes home and Watches Newsmax. And like, she, like, has bought it all. Like, she has totally embraced the new character. And so, like, your story, while surprising that an appointee that was supposed to lead, you know, a US Institution like the Voice of America would be, like, weirdly confronting political foes at the Ned's Club. It's not surprising to me. For her. I. I don't. I think that while there are some MAGA people that are putting on a show, I actually don't think that's the case for her.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

Yeah, I was in a green room once with, like, a really respected anchor, and they were saying that one of the Republicans close to her is like, oh, no. She is insulated from facts because she is. She surrounds herself with people that talk like this and that think like this. So she's not getting any. Anything else besides the hit of the.

[Tim Miller]

Red Bell, you know, wild material. Reuben, welcome to the club, bro. Carrie Lake, she's. She's out there. Be careful if you see her, you know, any. Any of you. Just fair warning, if you run into Carrie Lake at a grocery store, she might come for you. So just, you know, don't make eye contact. Head your own direction. And. And I'm glad we have the best people leading these organizations. Thank you for your reporting and for informing me about the ne I'm going to be looking into. I mean, not that I actually like to go to these fucking, like, stuffy, like, D.C. thing. I live in D.C. if I like to do that, I don't. But it's still nice to be invited, you know, it's still nice to be invited.

[Adrian Carrasquillo]

I'm told 15,000amonth, so.

[Tim Miller]

Well, no, you can. You can pay, man. They'd have to pay me 15,000amonth to start going to that. All right. Thank you for the reporting, Adrian Karaski. Go sign up for subtle messages. There's a lot of other very substantive immigration news, so go check that out on the bulwark dot com.