Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney had Twitter users rolling after she trolled Kari Lake—a QAnon adherent and election denier who was the Republican nominee in Arizona's gubernatorial race—who had posted a sarcastic "thank you" letter to Cheney for taking out a television ad urging Republicans not to vote for her.
Lake ultimately lost the race to Katie Hobbs, the Arizona Secretary of State whom Lake threatened with imprisonment on baseless and unspecified allegations of criminality related to the 2020 election.
But well before her loss, Lake seemed very assured that she would win the race, posting a letter addressed to Cheney in which she claimed that Cheney's "recent television ad urging Arizonans not to vote for me is doing just the opposite." At the time, she said that donations to her campaign were "skyrocketing" after Cheney's ad.
Lake went on to project the ad would "add another 10 points to our lead" calling "the Cheney anti-endorsement the gift that keeps on giving."
\u201cThank you, @Liz_Cheney.\u201d— Kari Lake (@Kari Lake) 1667001915
So sure was Lake that Cheney's ad would have the opposite effect on Republican voters that she even urged her followers to donate more money to her campaign in Cheney's name.
\u201cDONATE to me in Liz\u2019s Name: \u2935\ufe0f\nhttps://t.co/XJKyq7uzXn\u201d— Kari Lake (@Kari Lake) 1667001915
Of course, Lake spoke too soon, and Cheney couldn't resist letting her know it.
She followed up with a simple "You're welcome" shortly after The Associated Press called the race for Hobbs.
\u201cYou\u2019re welcome, @KariLake.\u201d— Liz Cheney (@Liz Cheney) 1668478644
It was shady and hilarious—and Twitter users ate it up immediately.
\u201c911: What\u2019s your emergency???\n\nCaller: I\u2019d like to report a massacre\u2026\u2026.\u201d— I am Sophia..\ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udf3a\ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udf3a (@I am Sophia..\ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udf3a\ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udf3a) 1668487315
\u201cI would frame that letter!\ud83e\udd23\u201d— Marc (@Marc) 1668483131
\u201cThe greatest throw back in the face without a physical slap on social media in history. Congratulations, @katiehobbs!\u201d— Mike J. B. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 \ud83d\ude37 \u262e\ufe0f (@Mike J. B. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 \ud83d\ude37 \u262e\ufe0f) 1668490965
\u201cDid anyone report this murder yet? #KariLake #KariLakeLoser @KariLake\u201d— Echo M (@Echo M) 1668531729
\u201cHall of fame Tweet from @Liz_Cheney.\u201d— Simon Rosenberg (@Simon Rosenberg) 1668481499
\u201cRevenge is a dish best served on Twitter.\u201d— Brahm Resnik (@Brahm Resnik) 1668483791
\u201cServed cold.\u201d— Jay Nordlinger (@Jay Nordlinger) 1668484378
Lake's loss was yet another sign that those who've backed former Republican President Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the 2020 general election was stolen were being repudiated at the ballot box.
The overwhelming majority of Trump's chosen candidates failed to make traction on Election Night, which did not result in the "red wave" Republican legislators and pollsters had counted on and were seen as a referendum on how much sway Trump and his rhetoric still have over the American electorate.
Lake and her supporters, for their part, alleged wrongdoing right to the bitter end, even going so far as to demand the military step in and redo what they alleged is a "false" election as she continued to fall behind Hobbs.
By contrast, Lake's loss offered vindication for Cheney, who over the summer conceded the Republican primary to Trump surrogate Harriet Hageman after being ousted by her own party for refusing to back Trump's falsehoods about the 2020 election.
