TL/DR –
U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake recently held a campaign event at a store in Show Low, Arizona featuring a Confederate battle flag displayed prominently behind her. The store’s owner, Steve Slaton, who is running for the Arizona Legislature, has also been controversial due to his military record. Lake, who is running for the seat currently held by retiring U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, is a polarizing figure who frequently appeals to the far right and has previously participated in an interview with antisemite Stew Peters.
Confederate Flag Displayed at Kari Lake’s Campaign Event
U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake recently held a campaign event at the Trumped Store in Show Low, Arizona, where a Confederate battle flag was prominently displayed. The flag’s presence was captured in a photo published by The Guardian. Steve Slaton, the store’s owner, is running for the Arizona Legislature and his military record has been a source of controversy.
The Lake campaign stated, “Kari Lake went to a store. The campaign doesn’t own the store.” Additionally, the campaign told The Guardian it “does not respond to British propaganda outlets. We stopped doing that in 1776.”
Senate Race Competition
Lake is seeking the seat currently held by retiring U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., are also in the race. The image of Lake in front of the symbol of the Confederacy could potentially impact her popularity among Arizona’s independent voters and play into the Democratic narrative of her as an extremist.
Controversial Political Connections
Lake, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in Arizona’s U.S. Senate race, has been a polarizing figure in state politics. She has appeared in an interview with antisemite Stew Peters and was scheduled to participate in a political conference hosted by white nationalist Nick Fuentes before withdrawing.
The Trumped Store Controversy
The Trumped Store visited by Lake is dedicated to former President Donald Trump, selling a variety of Trump-themed items. Store owner Slaton has generated controversy by claiming in an April radio interview that he was a Vietnam War veteran. However, official military records show he was stationed in South Korea in 1974, serving mostly as a helicopter mechanic.
Confederate Symbols and Race Reckoning
Following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the U.S. underwent a national reckoning around slavery and race. This included a purge of symbols of racism and the Confederacy. In Arizona, several Civil War-themed monuments were removed, and in 2023, Tempe officials renamed streets named for Ku Klux Klan members.
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