Kemp speaks out after Trump tweets that GA governor should resign over 2020 election
A rift between President Donald Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp reached new levels Wednesday as the president called for Kemp to step down from his post.
Trump called for Kemp’s resignation on Twitter Wednesday morning as the president again falsely claimed that he won Georgia in November’s election. State election officials have repeatedly debunked claims of widespread voter fraud over the past two months and counted ballots three times.
“@BrianKempGA should resign from office. He is an obstructionist who refuses to admit that we won Georgia, BIG! Also won the other Swing States,” a portion of Trump’s post reads.
Kemp called Trump’s tweets “a distraction” ahead of the state’s two U.S. Senate runoffs that will determine the balance of power in the chamber. Republicans incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Kemp’s focus, he said, is to reelect Perdue and Loeffler. Trump is scheduled to rally for both Republican senators in Dalton, Georgia, on Jan. 4, the night before the election.
“All of this other stuff is simply a distraction,” Kemp said. “I’ve supported the president. I’ve said that many times. I worked as hard as anybody in this state on his reelection up through Nov. 3. I supported the legal process that him or any other campaign can go through in this state. But at the end of the day, I also have to follow the laws and the constitution.
“I’ve got to stay focused on the issues of the day in Georgia. Not what somebody’s tweeting or doing in some committee meeting,” he added.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 3:28 PM.