Kari Lake uses stock footage of Russian soldiers in campaign ad

A recent campaign ad for Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) uses stock footage of Russian soldiers.

The footage is shown while the ad claims Lake will use the National Guard to help secure the U.S. border with Mexico. There is a brief, zoomed-in view of soldiers marching that is implied to be the Arizona National Guard. However, this footage can be found in its original form on the stock footage website Shutterstock, which shows that the troops are, in fact, Russian soldiers marching in a victory parade.

NEW: Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake uses footage of Russian soldiers marching in her campaign ad, claiming (incorrectly) that they are the Arizona National Guard. https://t.co/EmaoWstXtG pic.twitter.com/txTb4K8zZb

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) October 6, 2022

Another website called Russian Army Shop sells the very same uniforms shown in the footage, which is the desert camouflage version of Russian Army fatigues. These are very different from the Arizona National Guard uniforms.

Lake is facing Arizona’s Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) in a tight race for the governor’s office.

“If Kari Lake can’t identify a uniformed member of the Arizona National Guard from a Russian soldier, she has no business leading our brave men and women as governor,” Katie Hobbs responded via email when asked about the footage.

Lake’s campaign did not immediately respond to comment on the ad.

The border is one of the main issues in this race, and Lake has listed finishing the wall as a commitment if elected. Hobbs has laid out a plan to boost funding for border communities, sheriffs and local law enforcement.

Current Gov. Doug Ducey (R) is ineligible for reelection due to term limits.