Republican Kari Lake says Aussies have no freedoms due to giving up their guns, before storming out of interview

A US governor candidate said Aussies had given away their rights as they had “melted down” their guns, before storming out of an interview.

A Donald Trump-endorsed candidate for governor stormed out of an interview with an Australian reporter, saying Aussies had “given your rights away” because they had melted down their guns.

Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona, Kari Lake, made the fiery comments during an interview with 60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett that was terminated shortly afterwards.

The interview got heated when Barlett asked Ms Lake about her opinion of the January 6, 2021 riots, when thousands of Donald Trump supporters who did not believe he had lost the US presidential election, stormed the Capitol Building in Washington.

Ms Lake brushed off the question, saying, “I wasn’t there. I had nothing to do with that.”

Kari Lake stormed out of an interview with 60 Minutes. Source: 60 Minutes

When pushed, Ms Lake, who is a vocal supporter of Mr Trump, became angry at Bartlett’s use of the phrase “your man Donald”.

“I’m still amazed that you say ‘your man’. That’s just so disrespectful,” she said.

Barlett pointed out Mr Trump had endorsed her.

“It’s just the flippin attitude, it’s obvious … that you don’t like president Donald Trump,” Ms Lake replied.

Barlett asked her whether those who participated in the riots should be pardoned, which Mr Trump has suggested he would do if re-elected.

Members of right-wing extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys have been charged in connection with the storming of the Capitol.

“I have no say in that,” she said, noting she was running for governor.

“What I don’t like is that people are being held in prison without being charged,” she said. “That’s unAmerican. Maybe they get away with that stuff in Australia.

“Perhaps in Australia, because you’ve given your rights away, you melted down all of your guns and you guys have no freedom, that you find that okay.

“But here in America, we do things differently, we have something called the US Constitution and we have rights.”

Mr Barlett asked whether Australia would be better off having more guns, to which Ms Lake said “you absolutely would”.

She said she felt sorry for Australians as they had no power.

60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett. Source: 60 Minutes

Kari Lake became angry at the questioning. Source: 60 Minutes

“The only thing keeping us from being Australia right now is our second amendment, and we will never, ever let that go,” she said.

“You have internment camps and people are being forced, if they’ve encountered anybody with Covid, to be locked into a quarantine camp, (which) is the most horrifying thing I think I’ve ever seen a government do.”

Ms Lake cut the interview shortly after, saying “we’re done” before she can be heard saying “that guy is a complete nut”.

Among the new Republican candidates, Ms Lake has been one of the most vocal supporters of Mr Trump, who has hinted he will run again in 2024 although this has not been confirmed.

Kari Lake cuts short the interview. Source: 60 Minutes

The interview comes as four right-wing militants face a federal trial accused of plotting to kidnap Democratic governor of Michigan and sparking a “civil war” in the United States.

The four are among 14 men charged with targeting Governor Gretchen Whitmer because of the tough Covid-19 pandemic restrictions she imposed on the northern US state.

The arrests took place in October 2020 amid heightened tensions ahead of the November 2020 presidential election between Mr Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, which spilled over into violence on January 6 with the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.

– With AFP