Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) criticized Republican Sen. Kari Lake for encouraging her supporters to arm themselves ahead of election season, saying such statements could lead to people being killed. He said there is.
In an interview airing Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker asked Lake about recent comments he made to supporters. In it, Lake told her to “strap up your Glock” in preparation for what she called a competitive campaign period. First.
Welker also asked about former President Donald Trump’s telling Time magazine that whether there will be violence before or after the election “depends on the integrity of the election.”
“It’s dangerous. Kali Lake’s statements could result in people being injured or killed. Same goes for the former. [president]” Kelly replied.
As for whether words can lead to violence, Kelly said: “Absolutely.”
“Words especially coming from someone in a leadership position, and Kali Lake has never been elected to anything. I don’t expect her to ever get elected to anything. But you… “When you’re a candidate for the U.S. Senate, you have to be careful with your words. We’ve seen this throughout history,” he continued. “So I hope people reject that. I think they should consider their language and try to respond better going forward.”
“We need elected officials who accept the results of the election and want to lead this country in a better direction without using language that will incite their supporters. “We don’t need a U.S. senator who can casually use such language,” he said.
The Hill reached out to Kali Lake’s camp for a response.
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