Republican Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, asserts that the path to the White House undeniably passes through Georgia.
In an exclusive national interview with Digital, Kemp, the widely supported conservative governor serving his second term in this key southeastern battleground state, stressed that former President Trump—or any Republican candidate—cannot secure the necessary 270 electoral votes without winning Georgia.
Speaking on Tuesday, just before Vice President Kamala Harris began her two-day bus tour through the state, Kemp expressed confidence in Georgia as a winnable state for Republicans. He emphasized, “With the right strategies and tools in place, Georgia is ours to win. I’m fully committed to helping ensure we have what it takes to drive Republican voter turnout.”
Kemp also highlighted his concerns about the future, stating, “I firmly believe that we can’t afford another four years under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris—or even a Harris and [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz ticket, which I believe could potentially be worse than Biden and Harris.”
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The interview with the governor took place just days after Trump expressed his appreciation for Kemp in a social media post, thanking him “for all of your help and support in Georgia, where winning is crucial to our Party’s success and, most importantly, our Country’s future.”
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, added, “I look forward to collaborating with you, your team, and all my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
These remarks signaled a significant shift in Trump’s stance towards Georgia’s governor.
Following his narrow loss in Georgia in the 2020 election to President Biden, Trump spent two years criticizing Kemp for not overturning the state’s election results.
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Trump softened his criticism in 2022 after Kemp decisively defeated former Sen. David Perdue, who had Trump’s endorsement, in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial primary.
However, earlier this month, Trump launched into a 10-minute rant against Kemp during a rally in Atlanta, just a short distance from the Georgia State Capitol. Trump accused the governor not only of failing to overturn the 2020 election results but also of not preventing a county prosecutor from indicting him over his efforts to challenge those results.
“He’s a bad guy. He’s disloyal. And he’s just a very average governor,” Trump stated. “Little Brian. Little Brian Kemp. Bad guy.”
In response, Kemp told , “I’m not sure what exactly went down leading up to the rally. I’ve heard a lot of different accounts and explanations of what might have happened.”
“To me, that’s just a minor distraction that’s behind us now,” Kemp continued.
Kemp emphasized that Republicans “need to keep our eyes on the future. … We should be telling people why they should vote for us and outlining our plans to improve things. There are numerous issues where I believe we can draw a clear contrast with Kamala Harris and her track record.
“That’s where our focus needs to be, not on some incident from two or three weeks ago.”
When asked about Trump’s recent change in stance last Thursday, Kemp responded, “You’d have to ask him about that. I’ve been clear over the past couple of years that I would support our party’s nominee in Georgia, whoever that may be. That’s what I’m doing and have been doing all along.”
Interestingly, Trump’s statement came shortly after Kemp appeared on TV5s Channel, where he reaffirmed to Sean Hannity, “We need to send Donald Trump back to the White House.”
When questioned on Tuesday about whether he had spoken with Trump since then, Kemp replied, “I haven’t talked to him. I’ve spoken with a lot of other people, though, and I think everyone understands where we all stand. My position hasn’t changed,” Kemp added. “I’ve been supporting him and the entire ticket in Georgia, and I’ll continue to do so through November.”
Republican strategists acknowledge that for Trump to win back Georgia, he will likely need the backing of Kemp’s well-organized and well-funded political network to mobilize GOP voters.
Kemp stated that he’s “working hard” to “mobilize Republican voters and ensure we win this state in November.”
He further explained, “How that unfolds will depend on how things play out, which states are competitive, and who’s campaigning where and when.”
Kemp highlighted his other commitments, saying, “I’ve got additional responsibilities with the Republican Governors Association, which involve traveling across the country to help raise funds for winning North Carolina and keeping New Hampshire in the GOP column, as well as supporting our legislative races here in Georgia.”
Kemp also mentioned that he has sought legal advice from the state attorney general about the possibility of removing three conservative members from the five-person state election board. These members recently championed and passed a controversial set of rules imposing extra requirements on county election boards to certify their results.
“We’ve requested an opinion from the attorney general on whether this situation would constitute an official complaint, and I’m awaiting their response. Until then, I can’t comment further since we’re in the process of seeking legal guidance,” Kemp told Tv5s.
Meanwhile, Trump, who faces charges in Fulton County, Georgia, related to election interference, praised the three board members for advocating the new rules, calling them “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory.”
On the other hand, Georgia Democrats have criticized the new rules, describing them as a “concerted effort to subvert democracy.” They argue that these changes could cause delays in election certification and lead to significant disputes.
