Former President Donald Trump praised Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for supporting his election effort in the key battleground state after previously slamming the Peach State’s executive as “disloyal.”
“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 posted to Truth Social on Thursday evening.
“I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The comments come after Trump repeatedly slammed the popular Georgia governor across the last four years for opposing Trump’s challenge to the 2020 election results in the state. The final election results found President Biden defeated Trump in Georgia by 11,779 votes that year.
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ASHEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 21: Republican Presidential candidate, former U.S. president, Donald Trump, speaks to supporters during an event on August 21, 2024 in Asheboro, North Carolina at the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame. Mr. Trump and Vice Presidential hopeful JD Vance stood behind a thick plate glass as added security measures were visible around the event. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
“I’ll be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor. I guarantee that,” Trump said back in 2021 of Kemp. “I shouldn’t say this, I shouldn’t say this. I just don’t want you to tell anyone outside of this room, other than the millions of people. You know, I endorsed him. He was in last place and I endorsed him. He went to first place, like, immediately.”
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Even earlier this month, Trump slammed Kemp as “disloyal” during a rally in Atlanta.
“He’s a bad guy. He’s a disloyal guy. And he’s a very average governor. Little Brian, little Brian Kemp. Bad guy,” Trump said during the rally, which included more than 10 minutes of slamming th governor.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State speech, Jan. 11, 2024, in Atlanta. Kemp signed a bill into law Tuesday, May 7, that makes additional changes to Georgia’s election laws ahead of the 2024 presidential contest in the battleground state, including defining probable causes for removing voters from the rolls when their eligibility is challenged. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Trump’s favorable comments towards Kemp on Thursday evening followed the governor joining Fox News, where he endorsed Trump for president. Kemp had not endorsed anyone in the GOP primary, but said he would support the GOP ticket come November.
“We got to win. You know, we got to win from the top of the ticket on down. I’ve been saying consistently for a long time, we cannot afford another four years of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And I think, you know, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz would be even worse,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday.
Brian Kemp, governor-elect of Georgia, center, smiles during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Trump reaffirmed his promise to punish General Motors Co. for plans to close an auto factory in the electoral battleground of Ohio and said Chinas plan to lower tariffs on U.S. cars to 15 percent doesn’t go far enough. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images HOWELL, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 20: Republican Presidential Candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump laughs while responding to a queston from a reporter after his remarks on August 20, 2024 at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in Howell, Michigan. Trump is visiting Michigan this week to discuss “crime and safety” during a campaign event. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
“So we need to send Donald Trump back to the White House. We need to retake the Senate. We need to hold the House. We need to hold our legislative majorities that we have in the great state of Georgia. And it takes hard work. That’s what we’ve been doing.”
Georgia is a key battleground state this year, following Trump winning in 2016 against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but losing the state in 2020 when he squared up against Biden.
Republicans in the state told Politico earlier this month that the pair should bury the hatchet in order to win the majority of votes comes November.
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“During the Atlanta rally, President Trump criticized Governor Brian Kemp and revisited the 2020 election results,” strategist Eric Tanenblatt told the outlet. “With Georgia being a pivotal state, it’s crucial for the Republican Party to look ahead and avoid dwelling on past elections. To win in the upcoming election, Republicans need to present a united front and prioritize future-focused policies.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Trump’s Truth Social post lauding Kemp comes as the Democratic Party wraps up its convention in Chicago, with Vice President Harris delivering her speech accepting the nomination for the ticket.
Trump called into Fox News later Thursday to give his assessment of Harris’ speech, when he also spoke favorably of Kemp.
“He was very nice, and he said he wants Trump to win, and he’s gonna work with me 100%. And I think we’re going to have a very good relationship with Brian Kemp,” he told Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.