Trump Caves to Kemp - WhoWhatWhy Trump Caves to Kemp - WhoWhatWhy

Brian Kemp, National Guard
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Photo credit: Georgia National Guard / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Someone seems to have explained to Donald Trump that it’s best for him to avoid feuding with the popular GOP governor of a must-win state.

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Donald Trump always tries to be the biggest, baddest bully, and he pretends to be the “alpha” in any situation. But, with polling turning against him, he is now cowering before Georgia’s GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.

Earlier this month, the former president had traveled to the Peach State and accused the governor and Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of working against him.

“Your Governor Kemp and Raffensperger, they’re doing everything possible to make 2024 difficult for Republicans to win,” Trump told his supporters in Atlanta on August 3, and he insinuated that some mischief is afoot. “What are they doing? I don’t know. They got something in mind. They got a little something in mind. Kemp is very bad for the Republican Party.”

The former president also talked about the governor’s wife and her refusal to endorse him.

Kemp wasn’t happy about it… especially the part where Trump involved his spouse in his political grievances.

“My focus is on winning this November and saving our country from Kamala Harris and the Democrats — not engaging in petty personal insults, attacking fellow Republicans, or dwelling on the past,” he stated. “You should do the same, Mr. President, and leave my family out of it.”

Still, Trump was undeterred and doubled down on his criticism in a Truth Social post.

“Brian Kemp should focus his efforts on fighting Crime, not fighting Unity and the Republican Party! His Crime Rate in Georgia is terrible, his Crime Rate in Atlanta is the worst, and his Economy is average,” he wrote on his Truth Social website.

All of that is par for the course for Trump, who attacks any perceived enemy like a junkyard dog.

But on Thursday night, he went back on Truth Social with his tail behind his legs.

“Thank you to #BrianKempGA for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country,” Trump wrote. “I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

It certainly seems as though somebody sat down the former president and explained that it’s not wise for him to feud with the Republican governor of a must-win state… especially one who is significantly more popular than he is.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that Trump is stepping on the GOP’s toes in Georgia.

In 2021, he single-handedly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the Peach State. Back then, Republicans lost both of its Senate seats in runoff races (and thereby control of the upper chamber of Congress).

A big reason why was that Trump, who was trying to overturn the results of Georgia’s presidential election (which got him indicted in the state), put his own grievances and a losing cause ahead of the interest of the party.

Back then, he also accused Kemp and Raffensperger, whom Trump famously asked to “find” him the votes necessary to win the state after all, of being disloyal.

On Truth Social, the former president’s supporters seemed skeptical of the reversal.

Many of them commented on Kemp and Raffensperger having played a role in Trump’s 2020 defeat. That probably won’t be enough for them to abandon the former president, but it shows that, in the MAGAverse, nobody likes a “beta.”

Author

  • Klaus Marre

    Klaus Marre is a senior editor for Politics and director of the Mentor Apprentice Program at WhoWhatWhy. Follow him on Bluesky @unravelingpolitics.bsky.social.

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