Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan (source: https://www.duncanforgeorgia.com/)
A disenchanted Ex-GOP party-switcher clearly had no patience for President Donald Trump’s opportunistic jab after losing his Democratic bid for governor.
Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan lost behind former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports Trump could not wait to take to social media and kick Duncan when he was down.
“It was a great time and success in Georgia on Tuesday night where Geoff Duncan, a failed Lieutenant Governor, and Disgrace to the Republican Party, ran for Governor, as a Democrat, and lost BIG — A solid 50 points! He wasn’t even close, and is now, I assume, officially out of Politics,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He has now failed in two Parties. This guy was a LOSER from the first day I met him and now, we can call that official! President DONALD J. TRUMP
But in his social media slap-back, Duncan was unrepentant in his decision to reject the Republican Party and the man it nowe serves.
“Oddly enough Trump, losing by 50 percent still feels better than supporting you,” Duncan wrote defiantly. “Doing the right thing will never be the wrong thing.”
Duncan was one of few Republicans who refused to play along with Trump’s 2021 fake elector scheme and his demand to set aside the results of the 2020 election in Georgia and call a special session of the Georgia legislature to declare Trump the winner.
As Lt. Governor, Duncan appeared on CNN in the weeks following the election to order Trump to accept the election results and to focus on Georgia’s two US Senate contests, rather than “damage the brand,” according to AJC.
Trump instead added Duncan to his enemies list — as he has most Republicans who dared to think for themselves and call out his undemocratic scheme. Afterward, Duncan told reporters that Trump’s MAGA army of hooligans threatened the health of himself and his family.
“Our family received death threats virtually every time Donald Trump went to Twitter and lied about me,” Duncan confessed later in congressional testimony. “We were harassed by MAGA disciples almost everywhere we went out in public. Our kids got picked on in school. The list goes on and on and on, all because I was telling the truth.”
Duncan's defiant response underscores a broader pattern: Republicans who break ranks with Trump face relentless attacks and personal consequences. His willingness to lose a gubernatorial race rather than compromise his principles stands in stark contrast to GOP lawmakers who remain silent despite their private misgivings.
Duncan's journey from Republican lieutenant governor to Democratic candidate reflects the party's transformation under Trump—a shift that has cost him politically but, by his own assessment, preserved his integrity. His story serves as a cautionary tale for other Republicans considering whether loyalty to Trump is worth the personal toll.