Trump’s 'political suicide' makes winning Georgia nearly 'impossible': analysis

11 August 2024

After Donald Trump's rally at a Georgia State University arena earlier this month, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's (AJC) Greg Bluestein reported that several Republican activists and strategists were unhappy with the former president's attacks on Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, predicting that they could even tank his campaign.

"A lot of Republicans like me might just decide not to vote at all in the presidential election because of stupid antics like tonight," former Georgia lawmaker Allen Peake told the AJC. "Trump may have just lost Georgia."

A week later, the MAGA hopeful has campaigned little to none, and given a rambling, hourlong press conference that led political experts to question his mental acuity. Furthermore, Wall Street Journal reporter Cameron McWhirter reports that Georgia GOP leaders and strategists remain unmoved and unconvinced that Trump can win the state in November.

"Georgia Republicans, Georgia independents, and swing voters don’t want divisiveness," GOP consultant Stephen Lawson told the WSJ. "They don’t want a relitigation of 2020."

Lawson, who worked on ex-US Senator Kelly Loeffler's (R-GA) failed 2020 campaign, added: “We know exactly how this story ends. If he’s not running on the issues, he’s going to lose."

State Senator Larry Walker III — a top Georgia Republican — "called Trump’s comments 'definitely unproductive and unwarranted,' adding: 'If we continue with this kind of feud, it will make it more difficult' to win Georgia," according to McWhirter.

Veteran Georgia GOP strategist Ryan Mahoney — who believes Trump is committing "political suicide" — insisted, "We’ve seen this movie before, and the former president’s baseless and ill-advised remarks will make it damn near impossible for Republicans to prevail in November."

McWhirter reports, "A Trump spokeswoman didn’t respond to a request for comment on whether Trump and Kemp would appear together on the campaign and whether the two camps are talking. Earlier, when asked about Trump’s Atlanta speech, the spokeswoman referred to Trump’s Truth Social post criticizing Kemp."

McWhirter's full analysis can be read here (subscription required).

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