Kari Lake told Newsmax on Monday the Democratic Party could replace President Joe Biden with California Gov. Gavin Newsom as its 2024 presidential nominee.
Joining "Eric Bolling The Balance," the Republican candidate for one of Arizona's U.S. Senate seats said she believed Democrats are "already starting to make some plays" in forcing Biden out of the mix.
"I mean, you're seeing Gavin Newsom, who has been a complete disaster in California, ... but yet, the Democrats are trying to lay the groundwork for him to run," Lake said.
Newsom last week visited China and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
"It's pretty obvious if you're watching him," she said. "He's over there in China meeting with the guy who will really be in control of the Democrat Party."
The move to propel Newsom, she said, is because "I think they know that Joe Biden is going to be such a disaster, the Democratic Party will collapse."
"I don't know who it's going to be ultimately, but my bet is that Gavin Newsom is starting to move in," Lake said. "They realize that not just Joe Biden, but [Vice President] Kamala Harris are disastrous, and the voters just will not vote for those two."
Biden's approval rating currently sits below 40%, while his disapproval rating is nearly 54%, according to a FiveThirtyEight average of polls.
In addition, 67% of likely Democrat voters, an August poll from CNN and SSRS showed, believe the party should nominate someone other than Biden for president next year.
When asked to name their biggest concern about Biden in 2024, 49% mentioned his age, 14% his mental acuity or health, 7% his ability to handle the job, and 6% his popularity and electability. Only 5% said they had no concerns.
Lake announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Oct. 10 and received former President Donald Trump's support just hours after in a Truth Social video.
If she wins the Republican primary, Lake will likely face Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego in a hotly anticipated three-way race.
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