At Georgia rally, Trump blames 'turncoat' governor for loss

Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Georgia on Saturday in which he endorsed a slate of candidates and harshly denounced incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who Trump claims should have done more to overturn President Biden's 2020 victory in Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
"Trump voters will not go out and vote for Brian Kemp," Trump said at the rally in Commerce, calling Kemp a "turncoat" and a "RINO." To replace Kemp as governor, Trump has endorsed former Sen. David Perdue (R), who lost his seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff in a 2021 runoff election. In Commerce, Perdue said for the first time that the Senate election was "stolen" from him, the Journal-Constitution reported.
According to The New York Times, Perdue trails Kemp by about 10 points in the polls despite early speculation that Trump's endorsement would instantly make Perdue the frontrunner.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump has struggled to settle into his role as a GOP kingmaker. Last week, he rescinded his endorsement of Alabama Senate candidate Rep. Mo Brooks (R) after Brooks suggested Republicans should stop obsessing over the results of the 2020 election. Sean Parnell, who Trump endorsed for a Pennsylvania Senate seat, dropped out of the race in November amid accusations of domestic abuse.
A Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury is investigating Trump over a January 2021 phone call in which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to "find" the 11,780 votes needed to reverse Biden's win.
Trump has endorsed Georgia secretary of state candidate Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) in an attempt to unseat Raffensperger.
The former president also dropped the f-bomb while mocking former Secretary of State John Kerry's comments about climate change. "The ocean will rise one hundredth of one percent over the next 300 f--cking years," Trump said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Will divisions over trans issue derail Keir Starmer's government?
Today's Big Question Rebellion is brewing following the Supreme Court's ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why UK scientists are trying to dim the Sun
In The Spotlight The UK has funded controversial geoengineering techniques that could prove helpful in slowing climate change
By Abby Wilson
-
Gandhi charges: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversies
In Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
By Brigid Kennedy
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Climate: Trump's attempt to bring back coal
Feature Trump rolls back climate policies with executive orders aimed at reviving the coal industry
By The Week US
-
Trump's budget: Gutting Medicaid to pass tax cuts?
Feature To extend Trump's tax cuts, the GOP is looking to cut Medicaid and other assistance programs
By The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump tariffs place trucking industry in the crosshairs
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the White House barrels ahead with its massive tariff project, American truckers are feeling the heat from a global trade war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US