Trump’s Mockery and Political Maneuverings Post-Presidency

In a striking look at Donald Trump‘s life after the presidency, a new book by Meridith McGraw dives into his moves since leaving office in January 2021. One interesting highlight discusses Kari Lake, who recently secured the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, primarily thanks to Trump’s endorsement.

McGraw’s book reveals that Trump has had some fun at Lake’s expense, jesting about how passionately she pushes his claims about the 2020 election being rigged. According to Trump, no matter what you ask Lake, she manages to bring the conversation back to alleged election fraud, which he found amusing at times.

For instance, Trump allegedly told other GOP candidates to follow Lake’s lead. “It doesn’t matter what you ask Kari Lake about,” Trump reportedly said. He noted that even a simple question such as, ‘How’s your family?’ would trigger her to pivot back to the topic of fair elections.

The book also recounts a conversation between Trump and Blake Masters, who was running for U.S. Senate at the time. Trump advised him to double down on the election fraud narrative, pointing to Lake’s campaign as a successful example of sticking to that message, saying, “If they say, ‘How is your family?’ she says, ‘The election was rigged and stolen.’”

Despite Trump’s false claims about the election, which incited the violent attack on Capitol on January 6, 2021, many Republicans, including Lake, continue to spread these ideas. McGraw describes Lake as one of the loudest proponents of election denialism.

Lake, a former TV anchor, ran a campaign heavily based on Trump’s false election claims when she tried to become the governor of Arizona in 2022. After losing the race, she still refuses to accept defeat, claiming the election was fraudulent.

Now, as she shifts her focus to a Senate run, she will face Democrat Ruben Gallego in an important election that could influence control of the chamber.

McGraw’s book also covers other candidates who have tried to gain Trump’s favor and the sometimes humiliating situations they have found themselves in, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. At one point, a pro-Trump ad mocked him for eating chocolate pudding with his fingers, which quickly went viral and played into the idea that DeSantis was strange.

In the world of politics, these tactics have proved effective. Trump’s team reportedly even consulted Saul Alinsky’s book, ‘Rules for Radicals’, which emphasizes that ridicule can be a powerful weapon in politics. This strategy seems to be in full effect as Trump and his allies prepare for the upcoming election season.