Georgia Gov. Kemp responds to defeat of Trump-endorsed challenger, Abrams' criticism of state
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp joins 'Special Report' to react to resounding victory over Sen. David Perdue.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will continue to campaign without criticizing former President Donald Trump, despite his fellow Republican continuing to lambaste him for the state's handling of the 2020 election aftermath, the governor told Fox News.
Trump had endorsed former Sen. David Perdue, who lost by about a 50-point margin, while ex-Vice President Mike Pence endorsed Kemp.
On "Special Report," anchor Bret Baier asked if Kemp planned to mend fences with Trump, noting it got "pretty ugly" between the former president and the governor.
Kemp replied that his campaign is centered on "hard-working Georgians" and that he continues to be appreciative for how Trump's time in the White House benefited Georgia.
KEMP: STACEY ABRAMS COMMENTS ABOUT GEORGIA MEANT TO ‘FIRE UP’ LIBERAL DONORS
Pence, Kemp (Kemp campaign)
"This is about Georgia, and so I've never said anything bad about President Trump. I don't plan on doing that," he said.
"I praised him and his administration and Vice President Pence for the work that they did to help our state during the pandemic and a lot of the things that we worked on -- But this race and what I'm running for is to be governor of Georgia."
The unifying aspect of his midterm race, Kemp said, is that former State Rep. Stacey Abrams, D-Fulton, the Democratic nominee must be defeated for the second time in a row.
GEORGIA GOV. KEMP SLAMS STACEY ABRAMS ‘BIGGEST FLIP-FLOPPER SINCE JOHN KERRY’
Walker. (Michael Zarrilli/Getty)
"Unlike her, I believe Georgia is the greatest state in the country to live, work and raise our families. And I'm proud we're the number one state in the country for business. And that's what I'm working to keep," he said.
Trump's endorsements in a handful of Georgia races presented a mixed bag for the former president, as Perdue fell to Kemp, and Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., was unable to defeat incumbent Secretary of State Bradford Raffensperger – the latter of whom Trump has claimed failed to properly ensure security of the state's 2020 elections.
Hice, Raffensperger (AP/John Bazemore)
Heisman Trophy winner and former Dallas Cowboys running back Herschel Walker, however, handily defeated his opponents, earning a Trump-endorsed win in the U.S. Senate primary.
Walker will face incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who is running for the second time in three years because he is currently fulfilling the remainder of the late Sen. Johnny Isakson's, R-Ga., term.