Before Donald Trump waded into the GOP race for governor, the biggest outside factor in the contest may have been Clay Tippins.
Or, more specifically, the tape that Tippins secretly recorded featuring Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle speaking candidly with his former rival.
Now that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have thrown their full support behind Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Cagle’s in a box.
He can't criticize either of the politicians for fear of alienating his base. But he can lash out at Tippins, who he has already called "evil."
That brings us to a tweet Cagle (or, more likely, a campaign hand) sent Thursday reflecting on the news that Pence would soon rally with Kemp in Macon.
".@VP, if @ClayTippins is there, tell Secret Service they'll need to go the extra mile on the pat down."
Ouch.
A few hours later, Tippins shot back:
“Next to my trusty iPhone is my hunting license. Just bagged my limit for swamp rats. But instead of wasting time sending POTUS disrespectful JV tweets, shouldn’t you be prepping for your next job? A free tip - maybe you can sell big trucks and big guns. Bunch of us in that market.”
Double-ouch.
Read more recent AJC coverage of the race for governor:
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