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By Emily Birnbaum, The Hill
Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward is defending her upcoming bus tour with, among others, far-right activist Mike Cernovich, a well-known provocateur associated with the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory.
When MSNBC host Kasie Hunt pressed Ward over Cernovich's controversial views on Sunday night, the Senate hopeful said she doesn't know much about them.
"I don't really know what Mike Cernovich's views are," Ward said. "I know he's got an audience and we want to serve everyone."
"I want to serve Republicans, I want to serve conservatives, I want to serve independents, I want to serve people who aren't political at all and I want to serve those Democrats who are rejecting the radical left," she continued.
[post_ads]Cernovich spent months peddling the debunked "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory, which alleges high-ranking Democratic officials, including former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, are involved in a child pedophilia ring. The theory culminated with a man entering a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C., and firing a military-style assault rifle.
"Mike Cernovich has been associated with the Pizzagate theory that led to shots being fired at Comet Pizza here in Washington," Hunt said. "Do you believe what has been said about Hillary Clinton and pizza and all this nonsense that has been on the internet?"
Ward declined to deny the false conspiracy theory.
"All I know about Hillary Clinton is that she would have been a terrible president," Ward said.
Ward will embark on the "Road to Victory" bus tour next week alongside Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Cernovich, among others.
Ward throughout her campaign has sought to align herself closely with President Trump, even doctoring a tweet from the president to make it seem as though he endorsed her in the contentious Arizona GOP primary.
AZ GOP Sen candidate Kelli Ward will go on a bus tour w/ Mike Cernovich, an alt-right activist associated w/ the PizzaGate conspiracy.— Kasie DC (@KasieDC) August 20, 2018
JUST NOW: "I don't really know what Mike Cernovich's views are. I know he's got an audience and I want to serve everyone" Ward said pic.twitter.com/ZRaKrYRPJq
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