President-elect Donald Trump is eyeing Kari Lake to be his ambassador to Mexico, Semafor reported Monday.
An unwavering MAGA supporter who has described herself as “Trump in heels," Lake has no diplomatic experience and has built much of her political persona around calls to close the southern border.
Border security was central to Lake’s losing Senate campaign against Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., often describing immigration to the U.S. as an “invasion.” Much like Trump, Lake pushed for finishing the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
She is a staunch election denier and maintains that Trump won the 2020 election. Despite losing a 2022 race for Arizona governor, Lake has never officially conceded and has undergone multiple court attempts to overturn the results, all of which have been denied.
Her nomination would add yet another loyalist without relevant experience to Trump’s Cabinet and would likely worsen Trump’s already hostile relationship with Mexico. Last week, Trump threatened to place a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada unless they secured their shared borders with the US.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country would retaliate with tariffs of its own if Trump follows through. “We negotiate as equals, there is no subordination here, because we are a great nation,” she told the Associated Press.
If Lake is nominated ambassador to Mexico, she would be responsible for all communications with Sheinbaum’s administration regarding the proposed tariffs, as well as border security, immigration, fentanyl imports and other issues.
