On Tuesday, the Republican governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp , issued a strong statement in which he declared that the 2020 presidential election in his state “was not stolen. “This appeared to be his response to the recent criminal indictment of Donald Trump.
Kemp, who frequently clashed with the former president over his unfounded claim of election rigging, took to Twitter to respond to Trump’s announcement on Truth Social of a forthcoming press conference where he vowed to provide “irrefutable” evidence of fraud.
In his tweet, Brian Kemp stated, “The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen. Over the past three years, individuals with claims of fraud have failed to present any evidence under oath to substantiate their case in a court of law.”
He continued, “Our elections in Georgia are secure, accessible, and fair, and this will remain the case as long as I serve as governor. The focus should be on the future of our country in 2024.”
Chris Christie
Chris Christie, the former Republican governor of New Jersey who is challenging Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination, swiftly endorsed Kemp’s message. He tweeted, “This is a strong leader telling the truth. Others should try it,” delivering a pointed comment on Trump’s credibility.
In the past, Trump criticized both Brian Kemp and Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, who received Trump’s infamous phone call urging officials to “find” enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.
The conversation that occurred in January 2021 constitutes a pivotal component of an investigation spearheaded by Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis. As a result of this investigation, Trump faced indictment on charges including forgery and racketeering on Monday night.
Kemp’s tweet addressed multiple unsuccessful endeavors by Trump’s legal team in Georgia aimed at overturning the election outcome following Biden‘s victory by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Notably, a judge dismissed a lawsuit that alleged the wrongful counting of 147,000 illegitimate ballots, and subsequently, the state’s supreme court declined to entertain an appeal.
David Perdue
David Perdue, a Trump ally and former senator who challenged Kemp for the party’s gubernatorial nomination in 2022, supported that lawsuit. Many viewed his defeat as a significant setback to Trump’s efforts to reverse his own loss.
This marks the second time in five days that Kemp has directly addressed Trump through Twitter. Last week, he accused Trump of prioritizing himself “over the future of our country” by not committing support to the eventual 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
Trump has been equally critical of Kemp, as the two have engaged in a feud since Trump blamed his 2020 defeat in Georgia on the governor.
Kemp, along with other senior Republicans such as Christie and Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, has urged the party to move beyond Trump. Analysts see Kemp’s conservative leadership style as a potential model for the future if Trump’s hold on the party diminishes.