Kari Lake Brings Up Democrat Rep.’s ‘Gay Lover’ Rumors During Hearing, Chaos Ensues

Things got fiery on Capitol Hill Wednesday as Kari Lake, former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and current Trump administration official, found herself at the center of a political firestorm after invoking salacious past rumors about a sitting Democratic congressman during a tense exchange.

Lake was testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about her role as senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal agency responsible for overseeing international broadcasting platforms like Voice of America. The hearing, titled “Spies, Lies, and Mismanagement: Examining the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s Downfall,” was already expected to be contentious — but it turned chaotic after Lake referenced past tabloid allegations involving Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), her former political opponent.

“They could literally put out a lie about anybody here,” Lake said. “And I know you’ve been the victim of that. I remember the stories about you — where they said you had a gay lover. And those were going—”

Her comments prompted immediate pushback. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) quickly interjected, asking the chairman to strike down the remarks. Lake continued, however, using the moment to hammer home her point.

“I’m telling you, those kinds of lies — and you said those were lies — could be broadcast today on VOA,” she said, referencing Voice of America. “And you couldn’t pick up the phone, Representative Stanton, and say, ‘Hey, you’re putting out lies about me.’ You would not be able to do that. You would not be able to do that because they would sue you for breaking the firewall.”

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At the heart of the hearing was USAGM’s controversial structure and the agency’s legal firewall, which prevents political interference in editorial decisions by entities like VOA. Lake, however, criticized the system as a shield for bias and propaganda, echoing longstanding Republican concerns that the agency has leaned left for years and now operates without accountability.

The confrontation marks the latest in a string of explosive moments involving Lake, who has become one of the most combative voices in the Trump orbit. Now tasked with trimming USAGM’s sprawling budget and influence, she has made it clear she views many federally funded media outlets as hostile to conservative values and national interests.

In a memo last Friday, Lake confirmed that just 250 employees remain at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)—a stunning 85% reduction from March, when President Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the agency’s bloated structure. “We are fighting an information war, and there’s no better weapon than the truth, and I believe VOA can be that weapon,” Lake said at CPAC in February, just days before being appointed as senior adviser.

According to Politico, USAGM, which oversees Voice of America and funds several international broadcast operations, has also pulled $17 million in previously allocated funds from those outlets, redirecting the money to what Lake called “mission support.” Earlier this year, she announced the agency would terminate its lease on a D.C. office building, citing cost concerns.

Lake told staff her testimony to Congress would “expose the USAGM’s record of waste, mismanagement, self-dealing, and national security failures.”