LIVE: Trump rivals court conservatives in Battleground Georgia

Days after Donald Trump was charged with a sweeping conspiracy in Fulton County, the former president’s top Republican rivals are headed to Atlanta to make their case to conservative activists in one of the nation’s most competitive political battlegrounds.

Six GOP hopefuls will arrive in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday to address The Gathering, the conservative conference organized by WSB host Erick Erickson.

A frequent Trump critic, Erickson hopes to avoid mention of the former president. But his unprecedented legal troubles will nonetheless loom over the event, held days before the first GOP debate as Trump prepares to surrender to Fulton County authorities.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, executive Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott are all set to address The Gathering over the next two days.

It will also be a showcase for Gov. Brian Kemp, who chipped in $100,000 in campaign contributions to serve as a co-sponsor of the two-day event, which is closed to the public.

Erickson and Kemp hope to focus the conference on the future of GOP policies — and on the importance of Georgia as a pivotal 2024 state. Read more here.