AJC poll shows bipartisan discontent with Trump’s handling of Epstein files
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- MARTA pledges to boost its police force.
- Brian Kemp explains why he won’t backfill SNAP benefits.
- Derek Dooley asks for some advice.
Epstein pressure
Has President Donald Trump’s administration been transparent enough in releasing files about Jeffrey Epstein?
That question is fueling a new political fault line in Georgia. The president enraged some of his supporters by backtracking on promises to release documents tied to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Trump essentially told advocates pressing for more details to move on, triggering a bipartisan push in the U.S. House to force a vote that could make public more documents from the federal investigation.
The latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll tested voter sentiment on the handling of the probe, which has yielded a slew of conspiracy theories despite Trump’s nothing-to-see-here approach. And the results show the frustration isn’t confined to the left.
Among likely Democratic primary voters, the reaction is overwhelming. About 90% say they are dissatisfied with the amount of information released about the case.
But the more revealing number is among Republicans. More than one-third of likely GOP primary voters say they’re not content with the disclosure so far, including 15% who are very dissatisfied.
Things to know
Good morning! It’s Day 30 of the federal government shutdown. We’re only five days away from the Nov. 4 elections for the Public Service Commission and various local governments.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- More than one-third of likely Democratic voters in Georgia say they’re either “not so confident” or “not at all confident” that the 2026 primary will be conducted fairly, Greg Bluestein reports.
- The Atlanta Community Food Bank is taking $5 million from its reserves to prepare for a surge in demand during the federal government shutdown, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman and Amy Wenk report.
- Cost of living concerns are shaping a special election for a Gwinnett County state House seat, Baruchman reports.
MARTA police
The MARTA Police Department will be fully staffed by the end of the year, reflecting the new interim general manager and CEO’s pledge to rebuild public trust in the troubled transit agency.
Jonathan Hunt’s promise to the Atlanta Rotary Club this week comes after he took over the agency following the sudden retirement of former CEO Collie Greenwood after his permit to work in the U.S. expired this summer.
A MARTA spokesperson confirmed the agency has two vacancies out of 268 budgeted positions in its police department, both of which will be filled by the end of November. But the total number of authorized officers at the department has declined from a high of 362 during the 2020 fiscal year.
Hunt also pledged to boost the force by about 30 more officers next year. Plus, he wants to hire 10 more field protective specialists — non-sworn officers who don’t carry a gun.
Hunt said violent crime on the MARTA system has declined 50% over the last five years. But he acknowledged that often isn’t the perception of riders following some high-profile incidents. A MARTA bus driver was fatally shot after a dispute over a $2.50 fare in January and another man shot and injured two people on a train in May.
“We know data doesn’t make people safe,” Hunt said. “If you get on the system and you are not feeling safe, we have more work to do.”
New target
With more than 1 million Georgians poised to lose access to federal food benefits on Saturday, top Democratic contenders for governor are shifting their criticism to a new target: Gov. Brian Kemp.
The second-term Republican is on an economic development trip to Asia this week. But his administration has said there’s no way for him to tap into the state’s $14.6 billion in reserves to bail out the federal program. Kemp has also refused to join a lawsuit from other states challenging the funding or deploy the National Guard to help food banks, as some other states have done.
On Wednesday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves stood in the state Capitol just steps from Kemp’s office to say what he would do.
“My job as governor is to take a look at what the federal government is doing, and if the federal government is not doing their job, then we have to do our job,” said Esteves, a former state senator.
Kemp doesn’t see it that way, telling Greg Bluestein by phone during his trip to Asia that “I can’t fix all the problems that [Congress] not doing their job are going to create.”
He added: “If you do this for SNAP, what about early learning programs? What about TSA agents? What about the military, the National Guard? Where does this end?”
Esteves’ comments came after former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is also running for governor, called on Kemp and other Republican leaders to “join Democrats who have called for immediate action to tap into our budget surplus to feed Georgians in need.”
On the trail
Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan will kick off a statewide tour in Atlanta later Thursday focused on housing costs.
Duncan plans to meet with local officials and developers to highlight efforts to build more affordable housing and outline proposals he said could lower costs for families if the Democrat is elected governor.
Two cents
Former CNN president and Los Angeles Times publisher Tom Johnson said Georgia Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley recently called him to ask his advice.
“His politics and mine is somewhat different. But we had a wonderful, wonderful conversation,” Johnson said Wednesday during a speech at the University of Georgia to promote his new book.
Barbara Dooley, the coach’s mother and a longtime Athens fixture, was in the crowd to hear Johnson’s gentle punchline:
“And if I could only have made a Democrat of Derek yesterday, I would.”
Told you so
Mario Guevara, the Atlanta-based journalist who was deported last month after covering a DeKalb County rally, warned he wouldn’t be the only journalist expelled from the country by the federal government. He might be right.
Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in California on Sunday. Hamdi had been in the U.S. on a speaking tour.
Guevara and Hamdi’s cases are not the same, as Guevara was living in the U.S. with his wife and children. But critics say Hamdi’s detention continues the Trump administration’s dangerous crackdown on free speech.
“Revoking a journalist’s visa for views that challenge the administration’s preferred narrative sends a chilling message that foreign nationals who speak critically risk expulsion through political retaliation,” said Tim Richardson, director of PEN America’s journalism and disinformation program.
Hamdi’s lawyers are challenging his detention in court. They say his arrest was in response to his criticism of the Israeli government.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the Associated Press that Hamdi “cheered on Hamas,” adding that “those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will no be allowed to work or visit this country.”
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast Democratic Public Service Commission candidate Peter Hubbard joins the show to talk about his campaign challenging Georgia’s GOP energy regulators. Plus, we’ll discuss the federal government shutdown and its growing impact across Georgia.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Overperformers
Welcome PAC, a political organization that supports moderate Democrats, is out with a fresh analysis of what’s ailing the party. It includes suggestions on what Democrats should look for when choosing a 2028 presidential candidate.
“When considering candidates who have already run for office, Democrats should pay close attention to whether they overperformed or underperformed the national ticket in their previous races,” the report said.
Among the list of top overperformers are Georgia Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who both beat expectations by 6 percentage points, according to the report.
There are other Democrats in the report who are better examples of overperformers, such as Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Others receiving 2028 attention like Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are further down the list. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are both in the red, showing they performed under expectations in their recent elections.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China and is returning from his Asia trip. He’ll also host a Halloween celebration at the White House.
- The House is in an indefinite recess during the shutdown.
- The Senate will vote on legislation to limit Trump’s ability to impose new tariffs. They will also vote on one of Trump’s nominees.
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., will participate in a press call with Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to discuss the impact of the expiring health care subsidies.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthday:
- Thomas Driscoll, a faithful reader of this newsletter.
Appointment
- Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has appointed state Sen. RaShaun Kemp, D-Atlanta, to the Georgia Council on Literacy.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
U.S. District Judge William Ray has sanctioned Jonesville-based attorney Loletha Hale for using bogus legal arguments created by artificial intelligence.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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