Former President Donald Trump said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is almost "like a Democrat in disguise" in his latest criticism of the Republican lawmaker ahead of a visit to the state on Saturday.
Trump told the John Fredericks Radio Show on Real America's Voice that Kemp was a "disaster" who had worked to make sure Republicans lost the 2020 presidential election.
The former president has frequently criticized Kemp since President Joe Biden carried the state of Georgia in November and the governor has resisted pressure from Trump to revisit the election results in a special session of the state legislature.
Trump told host John Fredericks on Thursday: "Kemp is a disaster. He's a disaster. He talks about elections ... He did everything he could to make sure we lost the election. He was terrible."
Trump said he was the one who got Kemp elected governor in 2018. The former president gave Kemp his endorsement during his campaign against Democrat Stacey Abrams, but Trump would later say he was "ashamed" to have endorsed him.
"Brian Kemp has not done the job," Trump went on. "Far worse than not doing the job."
Trump discussed potential challengers to Kemp, saying he didn't know who would be running. The former president hasn't endorsed any of Kemp's primary opponents thus far.
"If somebody ran, they'd win in the Republican primary," Trump said. "But he's not going to be able to win the general election anyway because the base isn't going to show up."
Fredericks pointed to an upcoming special session of the Georgia state legislature in November that will carry out redistricting, but will not revisit the state's elections laws. The radio host said Kemp is refusing to put "an analysis" of the 2020 election "on the docket."
"It's almost like he's a Democrat in disguise," Trump said, adding that there were "very few" people who had asked him to endorse Kemp.
Trump recently called on Georgia to decertify the results of the 2020 presidential election and declare the "true winner." Georgia officials have found no evidence of fraud in the election.
The former president will speak at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday at a Save America rally. Trump will attend a "unique and exclusive" event with former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue before it starts.
Tickets to the VIP event are being sold for $1,500 each or $2,500 per couple, though admittance to the main rally is free and people can register online for up to two tickets.
Other speakers are set to include U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, Georgia secretary of state candidate Jody Hice and lieutenant governor candidate Burt Jones. Trump has endorsed all three candidates in their respective races.
Newsweek has asked Governor Brian Kemp's office for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
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