President Trump's feud with Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp exploded into public view last month after President-elect Joe Biden won Georgia by a narrow margin. Trump, who claims — without evidence — that he lost the state because of widespread voter fraud, blames Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to help him overturn the results, which were confirmed by multiple recounts. But the president reportedly didn't just turn on Kemp in an instant, The Washington Post reports. Instead, tensions have apparently been brewing for some time.
For starters, Trump reportedly believed Kemp wasn't appreciative enough when he endorsed him in his 2018 gubernatorial race. Then, things really boiled over in late 2019 when Kemp selected Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) to fill Georgia's open Senate seat. Trump was reportedly upset Kemp didn't consult him, and when the governor brought Loeffler to the White House to meet the president, Trump reportedly questioned why Kemp bothered coming to Washington if he had already made up his mind. Per the Post, the president never forgave Kemp for the perceived slight, even though he's become a fan of Loeffler.
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 uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politicsIN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliancethe explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official saysSpeed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to UkraineSpeed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveriesSpeed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggestsSpeed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefireSpeed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefsSpeed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
