President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of longtime loyalist Kari Lake to lead Voice of America has some Arizona Republicans breathing a sigh of relief.
Over the past two election cycles, Lake has dominated Republican politics in Arizona, running and losing back-to-back races for governor and Senate, and earning the ire of some of her fellow conservatives in the state. Some Arizona Republicans had already been skeptical about her political future in the state, given the losses, although her name had been mentioned for both state GOP chairwoman and Arizona secretary of state.
This decision now all but removes her from those conversations, creating room for other Republicans, like Karrin Taylor Robson, who ran against Lake in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary but came in second, to come to the fore.
“When you’re a two-time loser and you did worse the second time, that’s a clue that maybe voters don’t like you,” said Barrett Marson, a Republican Party strategist in Arizona. “I think it leaves room for the conservative but normal wing of the Republican Party in Arizona.”
Robson has been presented as a likely Republican gubernatorial candidate, and there was some uncertainty about whether Lake would be interested in a rematch.
“As attention turns to the 2026 Republican gubernatorial field, the big question was: What is Kari Lake going to do? … This at least partially answers that question and removes a pretty big potential name from the chessboard, at least for now,” said a Republican strategist in Arizona, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the dynamic. “She is certainly a name. She has been a Republican candidate twice. It’s safe to say it would have been formidable. “I think it’s a pretty big deal in terms of how that race is going to play out.”
Still, Lake, who maintains a strong social media presence and following among the MAGA crowd, is expected to remain a major presence in Arizona Republican politics. Several Republican political operatives in the state said that if Lake had run for chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, he likely would have won.
Lake’s name had also been mentioned for US ambassador to Mexico, a position that ultimately went to former US ambassador to El Salvador, Ronald Johnson. Johnson is a Green Beret who spent more than 20 years at the CIA and brings significant foreign policy experience to the position.
At the federally funded Voice of America broadcaster, Lake will lead a $267 million agency that broadcasts in more than 40 languages to a global audience of more than 354 million people. Lake has more than three decades of experience in broadcast news, including 22 years working at the Fox affiliate in Phoenix.
The director of Voice of America is officially appointed by the head of the US Global Media Agency, a Senate-confirmed position that Trump has not yet named. The VOA director needs the majority support of a seven-member advisory board appointed by the president, requiring Senate confirmation.
Trump’s previous pick to lead the Global Media Agency, Michael Pack, was accused of using his position to amplify the Trump administration’s message. The findings of a federal investigation published last year found that Pack abused his power to sideline executives he believed were not sufficiently supportive of Trump, engaging in gross mismanagement and violating laws and regulations in doing so.
In a post on Truth Social, Lake said she was “honored” that Trump had asked her to lead Voice of America, which she called “a vital international media outlet dedicated to promoting American interests by engaging directly with people.” from all over the world.” and promote democracy and truth.”
“Under my leadership, VOA will excel in its mission: chronicling America’s achievements around the world,” Lake said.
A person close to Lake, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the appointment, said the position will provide Lake “the perfect platform to share American history and continue to convey the truth to people from all over the world.”
“After a three-decade career as a trusted journalist and news anchor, she bravely stepped away from the mainstream media,” the person said. “By refusing to compromise her principles or push fake news, Kari’s decision inspired countless Americans to seek the truth in a world of growing misinformation.”
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said Lake would work “to ensure that American values of liberty and freedom are broadcast around the world FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the fake news media,” calling it “dear news.” Anchor in Arizona.”
Lake is one of several candidates who have demonstrated the challenges of running on the “Make America Great Again” platform without Trump’s name. In addition to Lake, MAGA-aligned gubernatorial candidates Doug Mastriano and Tudor Dixon lost their respective gubernatorial bids in Pennsylvania and Michigan in 2022.
Lake repeatedly falsely claimed that Trump won the 2020 election and disputed the results of her own loss in 2022. However, she did not dispute the results of her 2024 loss, and Trump won the state even as Democrat Ruben Gallego edged her out. the Senate race.
“She is no longer Arizona’s problem. Now she is the problem of the world,” Marson said.