On Sunday morning, Arizona’s gubernatorial nominees appeared on “Face the Nation” to discuss issues facing voters. Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Katie Hobbs offered stark differences of opinion on border security, abortion, and the economy.
Election integrity and Hobbs’ refusal debate Lake, two hot-button issues for the candidates, were also addressed in their one-on-one back-to-back interviews with host Major Garrett.
Lake was first about her proposed multi-state compact that would allow the states to address the porous border rather than rely on the federal government, which a majority of Americans believe has abdicated control to the Mexican cartels.
“If you know the Constitution, you know that Article 4, Section 4 calls for the federal government to protect us from invasion, and under Joe Biden’s lack of leadership, we just aren’t seeing that. And we have an invasion at our border, the cartels, these Narco terrorist groups have operational control. And they’re using Arizona to smuggle people, to traffic children and to traffic the most dangerous drug we’ve ever seen, fentanyl. And so, we’re going to invoke our Article One, Section 10, basically, authority to take care of our own border and protect our own border. It’s right there in black and white in the Constitution. And we meet all three criteria, we have an invasion, our people are in imminent danger, and time is of the essence. There’s no time for delay.”
“So, we’re going to have other states offer help. I’ve already got a couple other governors who are willing to help out,” claimed Lake. “And I know that if you ask people in other states that are not border states, they deem this crisis on the border as one of the top issues facing our country,” explained Lake.
Even Hobbs was critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis but stopped short of explaining her plan.
“Biden does need to step up immigration and border security. Absolutely. Arizona is bearing the brunt of illegal drug trafficking, gun trafficking and smuggling. And we do need more border security.”
Hobbs blamed both parties for “dragging their feet to get this done,” referring presumably to immigration reform.
Lake has shifted her position on abortion and who bears responsibility for Arizona’s current law, which changed just this week when the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that abortions are banned at 15 weeks. A previous law had banned all abortions except for the health of the mother.
“We need to draw the line. We need to draw the line somewhere. I am going to be the executive of the state, the chief executive officer, and I will follow the law. The law right now as it stands is Governor Ducey’s law at 15 weeks, so we’ll follow the law,” Lake appearing to hold the governor responsible for a popular bill passed by the Republican majority in the Arizona Legislature just this year.
“I’m for giving women true choices. And when they walk into an abortion center, they’re only given one choice. And they’re not told that you have the choice to keep your baby, and we can help and here’s how,” claimed Lake. “Or we can help you find a loving family who will adopt your baby. I want to give women true choices.”
Hobbs refuses to accept any restriction on abortions, despite the fact that the majority of Arizonans approve of some restrictions.
“I don’t support the 15-week ban. But let me just say that Kari Lake is- is entirely misconstruing my position on this issue. You and I both know that late-term abortion is extremely rare,” claimed Hobbs. “And if it’s being talked about, it’s because something has gone incredibly wrong in a pregnancy. A doctor’s not going to perform an abortion late in a pregnancy just because somebody decided they want one. That is ridiculous. And she’s saying this to distract from her incredibly extreme position, which has– she’s gone on the record saying she supports Arizona’s complete abortion ban that what- that is in the courts right now being decided if that will be the law of Arizona or not. She’s called it a great law. She’s called people who seek abortion murders and executioners. And- and under a Kari Lake administration, we would have government mandated forced births that risk women’s lives. And- and her position is the one that acts that’s extreme. It’s out of touch where- with where the majority of Arizonans are who support access to safe and legal abortion. And under her administration, women would not be safe.
On the topic of a debate between the two candidates, Lake reiterated her willingness to take on Hobbs.
“I have agreed to any and all debates and I will be taking part in one without my
opponent next week on the 12th,” said Lake. “I would love it if she would show up because I think there’s a lot of important issues that the people of Arizona need to hear about.”
Hobbs has stunned Arizonans, who have enjoyed a tradition of Clean Elections Commission debates for all state level races for years, when she refused to debate Lake.
Garrett asked Hobbs, “are there any conditions under which you would agree to debate Kari Lake, so the voters of Arizona could hear from the two of you, side by side and in real time?”
“Look,” said Hobbs. “what I’ve been focused on is opportunities like this, where they can see us back-to-back and hear directly from us about the issues that are important to Arizonans and how we would govern without a circus like she created during the GOP Republican primary. I have no desire to be a part of- of the spectacle that she’s looking to create. Because that doesn’t do any service to the voters of Arizona to hear from us, where we stand on the issues and how we would govern.”