Former President Donald Trump came to a former drag strip in Northeast Georgia on Saturday night for perhaps his most high- stakes rally since leaving the White House.
“Before we can defeat the Democrats, socialists and communists . we first have to defeat the RINO sellouts and the losers in the primary this spring,” he said, using an acronym to refer to “Republicans in name only.
“Before we can defeat the Democrats, socialists and communists ... we first have to defeat the RINO sellouts and the losers in the primary this spring,” he said, using an acronym to refer to “Republicans in name only.” His principal target was Gov. Brian Kemp, who Trump has been on a mission to oust since Kemp rebuffed his repeated demands that he use his office to help overturn the 2020 election results. Trump has repeatedly spread the false conspiracy theory that widespread voter fraud stopped him from winning key states like Georgia, though court challenges and bipartisan audits have found Trump’s claims meritless.Furious at Kemp, Trump persuaded former Sen.in this year’s primary, and the two fired salvo after salvo at Kemp throughout Saturday night. “Brian Kemp is a turncoat, he’s a coward and he’s a complete and total disaster,” Trump thundered from the stage. But Kemp may be the favorite in the race. The incumbent has had about a 10-point lead, according to the most recent polls, and has opened up a significant fundraising advantage as well. Perdue’s camp is hoping that the Trump rally will begin to turn the numbers around, counting on polling from weeks ago that some 40 percent of Republicans still did not know yet about the former president’s endorsement. But that number has almost certainly dwindled considerably since then. Meanwhile, Perdue has struggled to articulate a sharp message beyond the fact that Trump has endorsed him and spurious election-fraud claims.The Georgia primary on May 24 will be a major test of Trump’s relevance and power within the Republican Party. GOP candidates across the country will be watching to see whether a Trump seal of approval still packs the power it once did. “This race is the ultimate test of the enduring strength of a Trump endorsement,” said Brian Robinson, a prominent GOP political consultant in Georgia. “If Perdue wins, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that a Trump endorsement has messianic influence,” he added. But a decisive Kemp win could send the message that Republicans no longer have to genuflect to the former president and that the party may finally be able to steer a new course in the post-Trump era. A weaker Trump, of course, would also have significant implications for Republicans who are thinking about running for president in 2024 —Whatever the impact is nationally, Trump’s endorsements certainly carried weight with his crowd of fans in Commerce, Ga. Philip Salerni, leaning over the fence to get a better view of Trump, said he planned to vote for every candidate Trump was backing “because he picks people who put America first.” Chrissy Maxwell, wearing a “bejeweled denim Trump hat,”, said that she would unquestioningly vote for anyone Trump endorsed. “I trust him to tell me what to do,” she told the newspaper. “Jesus and Trump. That’s who I listen to — and sometimes not in that order.” But the sentiment was not universal. One man, who did not give his name, said he was undecided between Kemp and Perdue and wanted to hear more from them. “I hope they debate,” he said. Still, it was clear that Trump’s false message that Kemp aided and abetted the stealing of the 2020 election has resonated with the crowd here. When Perdue took the stage, he made that the main line of attack against his rival: “In the state of Georgia, thanks to Brian Kemp in 2020, our elections were absolutely stolen,” Perdue said, adding, “Whoever was responsible goes to jail” if he becomes governor. The crowd broke into chants of “lock him up, lock him up.” Perdue grinned and gave a thumbs up to the crowd.
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