'2000 Mules' Director Demands Kari Lake's Second Election Loss Be Investigated

Right-wing commentator Dinesh D'Souza, known for standing by several high-profile conspiracy theories, is demanding an investigation of the Arizona Senate race as Democrat Ruben Gallego beat Republican opponent Kari Lake despite Donald Trump's victory at the national level.

D'Souza, who is behind the book and film "2,000 Mules," which falsely alleges Democrats stole the 2020 election, said in his podcast that "we are being asked to believe something that refutes any kind of common sense."

He was making reference to the fact that Trump won the state by a sizable margin (52.3% to Kamala Harris' 46.7%) but Lake trailed Gallego. "I refuse to believe that, it doesn't make sense at all. Now that doesn't prove cheating, it falls short. It does raise the question of whether it needs to be an investigation," D'Souza said.

"There might be a recount but it's not an investigation. An investigation is a deeper dive, and whether or not the delay in Pinal County was a mechanism to cheat, alter vote totals and bring new votes out of nowhere."

Lake has not publicly conceded the race to Gallego. It is not uncharacteristic, considering she never acknowledged losing the 2022 gubernatorial race in the state and has called herself the "lawful governor" in her 2023 book. She has also unsuccessfully brought the race to court to try to overturn it even after beginning her Senate campaign, a page taken out of the book of one of her biggest allies— former President Donald Trump.

Gallego has gone on to celebrate his win regardless, becoming Arizona's first Latino senator, according to multiple projections. He described the result as a dream fulfilled after growing up in a low-income household. "This is the greatest country in the world, and the only way I could be here is because of this great country," he said.

Gallego, the son of immigrants from Mexico and Colombia, was raised in Chicago by a single mother and eventually accepted to Harvard University. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and fought in Iraq in 2005 in a unit that sustained heavy casualties, including the death of his best friend.

His margin of victory was significantly smaller than the lead he had throughout the campaign cycle, with many polls showing him beating his opponent by a double-digit margin.

During the campaign, Gallego relentlessly portrayed Lake as a liar who will do and say anything to gain power. The Democrat also attacked his opponent for supporting a state law dating back to the Civil War that outlawed abortions under nearly all circumstances.