President Donald Trump unequivocally backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R-GA) in the Georgia gubernatorial race on Wednesday night, doubling down on his endorsement for Jones in the wake of businessman Rick Jackson running a Trump-style MAGA campaign.
In a tele-rally on Wednesday evening, Trump called on Georgians to get out to vote for Jones in the May 19 primary. Despite the GOP primary becoming a face-off of sorts between Jones and Jackson over who can corral the MAGA base and appear the most loyal to Trump’s agenda, Trump told voters that “there’s nobody even close” to Jones.
“Vote for Burt Jones,” Trump said. “He’s just an incredible guy who has my complete and total endorsement in the race. There’s a lot of confusion. Everyone’s saying, I endorsed them. I didn’t. I endorsed a man named Burt Jones, your lieutenant governor. He’s tried and true, and he’s real quality.”
Trump also tied Jones to his federal conservative agenda, arguing that, as governor, Jones would keep Georgia taxes low, cut back regulations, and ensure voting integrity, saying, “I need people like Burt to help me.”
Trump’s virtual stump appearance for Jones comes as billionaire Jackson saw a surge in polling support when early voting commenced in late April. An InsiderAdvantage poll had Jackson polling at 32% support among likely GOP primary voters, while Jones trailed at 25%. Eleven percent of respondents said they supported Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, while state Attorney General Chris Carr polled at 6%. About 23% of the 800 respondents were still undecided.
But the president’s unequivocal backing of Jones could help shift the tide in the primary, as his word carries significant GOP primary momentum and has proven so in states such as Indiana.
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“We’ve had a great relationship together,” Trump said during Wednesday’s tele-rally. “I love you, and I guess you at least like me. And I don’t do these often, but I do it in the case of Burt, because hopefully he’s going to win. He’s a great man.”
Georgia voters will hit the ballot boxes for in-person general primary voting on May 19, unless something changes if current, term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) decides to delay primary votes for a redistricting play in the Peach State.
