Former Republican President Donald Trump went on the offensive Wednesday against Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp after he announced plans to campaign with a few current and former GOP governors.
Kemp faces off on May 24 in the Republican primary against Trump endorsed former Republican Senator David Perdue. Trump vowed to unseat Kemp after the GOP Governor refused to "find" Trump the votes he needed to defeat Democratic candidate Joe Biden in 2020.
Biden won Georgia by 11,779 votes, gaining him all 16 of Georgia's electoral votes. Biden defeated Trump in the popular vote and electoral vote nationally by a wide margin.
In a statement, Trump's camp wrote:
"Today, the worst ‘election integrity’ Governor in the country, Brian Kemp, loaded the great state of Georgia up with RINOs."
"That’s right, he had them all. Chris Christie, Doug Ducey from Arizona and Pete Ricketts from Nebraska."
"That tells you all you need to know about what you are getting in Georgia—just a continuation of bad elections and a real RINO if you vote for Brian Kemp."
The message was shared on Twitter by Trump mouthpiece Liz Harrington.
But Christie—a one-time member of Trump's inner circle—hit back at the one-term President.
Christie tweeted:
"Insightful commentary about three Republican Governors who were overwhelmingly re-elected by their people from a former President who lost to Joe Biden.
"Maybe the 'R' in RINO really stands for re-elected."
"Proud to stand with [Doug Ducey and Pete Ricketts] supporting [Brian Kemp]."
While many aren't ready to forgive Christie for supporting Trump in 2016, they appreciated the verbal smackdown.
Plenty had their own response for the Trump camp's latest missive.
The Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary has turned into a face-off between Trump’s MAGA minions and establishment Republicans.
Kemp—a Trump ally until the 2020 election rift—is endorsed by prominent old-school Republicans and the Republican Governors Association.
Perdue is a former Republican incumbent Senator Trump endorsed in 2020 who lost his seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff in a January 2021 runoff—another sign of Trump's lack of widespread support after his own reelection loss.
Perdue's gubernatorial campaign is focused on Trump’s Big Lie—widespread voter fraud was the reason Trump lost in 2020. While that story plays well to the MAGA minions, its proving to be a hard sell among Georgia Republicans.
Polls show Kemp consistently garners over 50% of GOP voters support in a field of five candidates.
