Carl Jung once said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves,” which is a stark but eye-opening sentiment that roughly translates to, “If you hate that your new roommate is a bigoted, morally vacant, idiot egomaniac, it’s probably because you hate that you’re a bigoted, morally vacant, idiot egomaniac.”
Now, I would never expect even a drop of self-awareness from Donald Trump—nor would I want to see it (it’d be like watching a dog learning to wipe its ass)—but apparently, Mar-A-Lago hasn’t been so Great since failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake all but moved in to try and be his 2024 running mate.
“She’s a shameless, ruthless demagogue who wants power and will do whatever she has to do to get it,” a Trump adviser told the Daily Beast of Lake—a quote that made me spit out my lunch in laughter and disbelief that anyone could be so hypocritical. Trump also apparently hates that Lake is a “spotlight hound” who always wants attention, and he’s annoyed that she’s “running around saying she should be VP,” according to two advisers that spoke with the site. I guess birds of a feather don’t flock together if the birds are both shameless, ruthless demagogues.
In June, People reported that Lake is at Mar-A-Lago “every night ... She’s there all the time,” even more than Melania, and that Lake has “a suite there that she practically lives in.” Lake has continued to deny rumors she wants to be Trump’s 2024 running mate, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why not. Like...you lost your election, so why wouldn’t you go for the bigger election? You literally have nothing else to do right now. I don’t want Lake anywhere near the White House but girl, quit playing yourself—let your ambition soar (directly into the sun!).
Another Trump adviser said that Trump “sees through her gambit for the vice presidency.” (Again, what gave it away, bubs?!) “You don’t have to be a wizard to figure that out,” they said—which is maybe the only time ever someone on his team has admitted that Trump is pretty stupid. “She is a woman that knows what she wants and knows how to get it.” Notably, Mike Pence was definitely not a woman who knew what she wanted but rather, a tiny, quiet milk-fed mouse who’d shudder at the thought of a woman who wasn’t his mother, I mean, erm, wife.
Lake’s reps told the Daily Beast that these comments were “pathetic attempts from Team DeSantis”—except the comments didn’t come from Team DeSantis, they came from Team Trump. But whatever, it’s kind of fun to watch all the MAGA people fight about which egomaniac is the most egomaniacal. (Trump said he grabs women “by the pussy;” Lake said Trump has BDE; Trump said he could shoot people in the middle of 5th Avenue and everyone would still love him; Lake said she’ll hold a mass shooting if Trump goes to prison; they both think they won the elections that they lost...they’re neck and neck.)
Trump did support Lake’s new book on Truth Social, but he definitely hasn’t given any hints as to whether or not he wants her—or anyone (?)—as a running mate. “I think about it. We have a lot of candidates, right?” he said at a recent campaign stop in Iowa. “I don’t think from a voting standpoint it matters very much.”
I guess I have to agree there.