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Nursing grievances over 2020, Trump returns to Georgia seeking allies

Published 03/26/2022, 12:19 PM
Updated 03/27/2022, 07:22 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts after his speech during a rally at the Iowa States Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., October 9, 2021. REUTERS/Rachel Mummey/File Photo

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts after his speech during a rally at the Iowa States Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., October 9, 2021. REUTERS/Rachel Mummey/File Photo

By Joseph Ax

(Reuters) -In a test of his enduring influence over the Republican Party, former President Donald Trump returned to Georgia on Saturday to stump for allies who support his ongoing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him - starting with Georgia.

At a rally in Commerce, a small city northeast of Atlanta, Trump spent the first 20 minutes of his speech repeating falsehoods about the outcome, calling Governor Brian Kemp, a fellow Republican, a "turncoat" and "coward" for failing to reverse the results.

Trump has invested significant political capital in the state, endorsing a slate of statewide candidates in an effort to oust Kemp and his allies. The May 24 primary election will provide perhaps the clearest assessment yet of Trump's ability to play kingmaker in the 2022 elections.

It will also offer an early measure of how Republican candidates attempt to strike a balance between Trump's obsession with the 2020 election and national Republican leaders' preference to focus on President Joe Biden's record in office.

"This is a really hard test for him – and a crucial one," said Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta. "Trump is still well liked by Republican voters, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to base their choice in a primary on his endorsement."

Polls have shown Kemp holding a comfortable lead over Trump's preferred candidate, former U.S. Senator David Perdue, despite Trump's frequent criticisms of the incumbent governor.

In addition to Perdue, Trump has endorsed U.S. Representative Jody Hice, who is challenging Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Raffensperger rejected Trump's demand that he alter the outcome and declared the 2020 election fair and accurate after a series of audits and reviews.

Trump also endorsed down-ballot challengers for attorney general, lieutenant governor and even insurance commissioner, in each case siding with candidates taking on officials he blames for not fighting harder to substantiate his fraud claims.

Biden won Georgia by less than a quarter of a percentage point, becoming the first Democrat to win the state in nearly 30 years.

"What we're starting to see is that his endorsement does not appear so far to be giving the type of automatic bump to candidates that we've seen in the past," said Amy Steigerwalt, a political science professor at Georgia State University.

A spokesperson for Perdue said his support would only grow as more voters become aware of Trump's endorsement. A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

TRUMP STILL PUSHING ELECTION FALSEHOODS

Republicans worry that a split in the ranks could open the door for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the voting rights activist who narrowly lost to Kemp in 2018, to win November's rematch.

Some Republicans already believe Trump's rhetoric following the November 2020 election helped cost the party twin Senate runoff elections in Georgia in January 2021, handing Democrats control of the chamber.

A spokesperson for Kemp's campaign, Tate Mitchell, said, "Governor Kemp is focused on winning the endorsement of Georgia Republicans on May 24th and making sure Stacey Abrams is never our governor."

Trump remains the party's leading figure, and Republican candidates from across the country continue to seek his support. But he has made clear he expects his allies to commit to his false assertion that Biden's victory in 2020 was illegitimate, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked by courts, vote audits and election officials.

Earlier this week, Trump rescinded his endorsement of U.S. Representative Mo Brooks for a Senate race in Alabama after Brooks told voters it was time to move on from the 2020 election.

Perdue, who lost his Senate seat in 2020, echoed Trump's claims during remarks at Saturday's rally, telling the crowd that both their elections were "stolen" and vowing that those responsible would "go to jail."

Some Republicans, including Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, have urged the party to put 2020 behind it and focus on Biden's performance. Historically, the party that occupies the White House has lost seats in Congress during a president's first midterm election.

© Reuters. Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally in Commerce, Georgia, U.S. March 26, 2022. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, a Republican who is not running for reelection, founded a group, GOP 2.0, aimed at moving the party beyond Trump.

The organization released an advertisement this week attacking Trump and Perdue for preferring to talk about "conspiracy theories and past losses" rather than offering a vision for the future.

Latest comments

"false claims" - yet big tech censor and bury every link to finished investigations that forensicaly proved Trump right.
You spelled forensically incorrectly. Understandable as big tech has likely buried all links to its correct spelling.
Spam lol
how intelligently deficient the republicans are. trump will never run again, he lost twice the popular vote, hillary beat him by 3 million votes, Biden creamed him by 8 million votes. if he runs a third time he will lose by worse and he despises losing, more than he hates mitch.
trump's era has passed, the GOP is stuck in a time warp. trump's requirement for his support is to lie for him to soothe his ego. no vision for his future. sad!
His simps and cucks want their “strong daddy” back. Lmfao
I heard the rally was stolen.
I heard he is devoid of morality a la putin the butcher.
Typical garbage “reporting” from the left media
Lmao triggered over simple information. How sad, do you need a safe space?
after midterms no more Dems in charge....till then 10% inflation in us
lol, putlers little cuck has come out of his cave
who? Donald Duck?
Not baseless and not falsehoods little Reuters fascists.. Go home to Canada now where your fascist little leader loves you. America is tired of you foreigners meddling in our elections and politics. You’ll be shown the door eventually. Laws need to change to insure it.
Its “ ensure “ not “insure” . 😂The illitracy in US is so high that I am an Indian teaching English to an American
 I caught that, but this joke of a site doesn't allow editing.. and for the record, your "normal" people still defecate in the streets.
Georgia should arrest and prosecute for election interference, a federal felony, ans not set bail due to e streme chance of flight from prececution.
Laptop Laptop Laptop..Geriatric Joe..liar in chef
 TROLL!
You represent the worst this country has to offer
hahah triggered as usual. Lets get you a safe space!!
(Lets see if Georgia takes him into custody.)
Traitor trump was puketins hand puppet. Thank God he lost!
Your lib taaard snowflake tears will be delicious this fall and in ‘24. This is gonna be fun
Trumps a d....u...m..b...a...s..s...
honestly he does look like one.
Have you taken an honest look at the empty suit in the White House today? No because you only care what the machine feeds you about Trump.
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