Former president Donald Trump railed against Republican Governor Brian Kemp in Georgia for refusing to promote his lie that the election was stolen, promoted his preferred candidates in the state and all but admitted that he will run in 2024.
“Brian Kemp is a turncoat, a coward, and a complete and total disaster,” he said.
The former president spoke in Commerce, where he railed against Mr Kemp and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to go along with his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.
“He didn’t look. He didn’t want anything to do with it,” Mr Trump said about the governor, whom he endorsed in the 2018 primary, which he credited with Mr Kemp winning.
“He was losing, I endorsed him and he won big,” he said. “How about that? And he wouldn’t do a damn thing, he wouldn’t do a damn thing about the election fraud.”
Mr Trump also frequently invoked gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, whom Mr Kemp beat in 2018 and is challenging Mr Kemp in a rematch.
In response, Mr Trump endorsed former Sen David Perdue, who lost in a runoff race to Democrat Jon Ossoff, to run in a primary challenge against Mr Kemp. Mr Kemp has taken to copying Mr Trump’s lie that the election was rigged and saying his race was “stolen” as well.
Mr Perdue also spoke at the rally and said he would hold people responsible for the election.
“I’m fighting right now to find out what happened in 2020 and make sure that those people responsible for that fraud in 2020 go to jail,” Mr Perdue said, which led to a chant of “Lock him up.” Mr Perdue responded with a smile.
Mr Trump also brought along his preferred slate of candidates, including former University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker, who is challenging Sen Raphael Warnock, as well as Rep Jody Hice, who is running to challenge Mr Raffensperger.
Similarly, Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke ahead of Mr Trump and the former president brought along the right-wing firebrand onstage with him, where she all but admitted Mr Trump would make another run for president.
“I think we can all say he’s the greatest president of our lifetime and America misses him,” she said. “We’re going to make sure that we put the right people in office to never let our elections get stolen again. And then we’re going to get out in 2024 and we’re going to send our favourite president right back where he belongs, in the White House.”
Mr Trump himself all but admitted he would run again.
“The truth is, I ran twice, I won twice, and I did much better the second time. And now, we just may have to do it again,” he said.
