Trump’s Georgia rally sparks GOP anxiety

Source: Politico | December 3, 2020 | Marc Caputo

State Republicans welcome the president’s support for Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. But they’re worried about what he might say beyond that.

Georgia Republicans are excited that Donald Trump is coming Saturday to Valdosta to help save Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

They’re also a little scared.

They’re not entirely certain what to expect from the president’s first postelection rally. Or how much he understands that the event is about helping the two endangered GOP incumbents get across the finish line in the Jan. 5 runoff, not advancing his own political interests or settling scores.

“It’s important that Trump comes and focuses on the Senate election and not the other peripheral sideshow of whining and complaining and making baseless accusations,” said Allen Peake, a former state legislator and self-described “mainstream Republican.” “But that’s kind of been his mode for the past four years. I don’t think he will change. So I’m very concerned about this on Saturday.”

Though Trump will tell his supporters to head to the polls for Loeffler and Perdue, he’s also likely to spread false conspiracy theories about a stolen election that could depress turnout — something he’s done nearly every day since being denied a second term. And he’s sure to bash a couple of fellow Republicans, Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both of whom are up for reelection in 2022, for their roles in overseeing elections in a state Trump narrowly lost.

“If all he does is whine and complain and talk bad about Kemp and the secretary of state, then the trip will be a disaster and he might as well not even come,” Peake said. “This is a crazy time in Georgia politics, that’s for sure.”

Nothing about Trump’s rally — or the runoff — will be predictable. The backdrop is unique: It’s the first time runoff elections for two Senate seats in the same state stood to dictate political control of the closely divided chamber.

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