Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) indirectly warned that former President Donald Trump‘s fixation on the 2020 election could harm the GOP moving forward.
Reiterating a message that he delivered to Republican donors Saturday, Kemp bashed claims of election fraud in the 2020 election as a distraction from more pressing concerns such as inflation and crime that are top of mind for voters.
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“If you look in the rearview mirror along while you’re driving, you’re gonna look up, and you’re gonna run into somebody. And that’s not gonna be good. It’s like a quarterback who throws an interception. If you dwell on that the rest of the game, your team’s not gonna fare very well,” Kemp said on CNN’s State of the Union.
During a Republican National Committee donor retreat in Nashville, Kemp dismissed the 2020 election as “ancient history.” Kemp urged the GOP to focus instead on the future and predicted Georgia will be paramount in the 2024 presidential cycle.
“The road to the White House is coming through Georgia and two or three other states that really, in my opinion, are gonna decide the presidential race. And I was just laying out the blueprint for any candidate to be able to win,” Kemp added.
During the 2020 midterm elections, Trump endorsed Kemp’s primary foe, former Sen. David Purdue (R-GA). Ultimately, Kemp prevailed, but during the CNN interview, he refrained from criticizing Trump.
Kemp further urged Republicans not to get distracted with their messaging, underscoring the need to focus on high inflation, high prices at the gas pump, crime, and other kitchen table issues.
“As we get distracted and talk about other things that the Democrats want to talk about, like these investigations … that only helps. It does not give us a path for Republicans to win,” Kemp said.
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Trump ultimately lost Georgia in the 2020 election. He infamously called Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and stressed the need to “find 11,780 votes,” which later triggered an investigation from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The probe is potentially weighing charges against Trump for interfering in the election.
“We’re going to help people peacefully protest. We’re also not going to allow people to get out of line,” Kemp said. “Anybody who comes from out of state and doesn’t realize that; they’re in for a rude awakening.”
