Georgia Governor Brian Kemp confirmed on Friday that he will support Donald Trump in the November presidential election, despite the ongoing tension between the two Republicans. Kemp’s reaffirmation comes after Trump intensified his criticism of the governor during a recent rally in Atlanta.
At the rally, Trump labeled Kemp as “disloyal” and blamed him for his 2020 election loss. Trump reiterated his dissatisfaction with Kemp in a Thursday news conference, stating, “I’ve never understood it. When you get somebody elected, they’re supposed to like you.”
Addressing the controversy at Erick Erickson’s “The Gathering” event, Kemp said his position remains unchanged on supporting Trump in November because it is in the “best interest” of the Republican Party.
“Despite the noise and distractions, my position has not changed,” Kemp said. “You know, I’ve said a long time before, you know, the presidential primary ever started when we had all those great candidates that were running, that I was going to support the nominee.”
Kemp emphasized the importance of unifying for the upcoming election, despite any differences. He stressed that winning Georgia is vital, especially after the state’s 2020 results.
“We’re going to use our political operation to win Georgia despite past grievances, differences in a political opinion, you know, maybe ideals, issues, whatever the case may be with any individual or the former president,” he said, adding that “it is in all of our best interest that we win in Georgia in 2024 unlike we did in 2020.”
However, Kemp had previously disclosed that he did not vote for Trump in the Georgia GOP primary, explaining that “the race was already over by the time the primary came around.”
