Vance tries to reassure Georgia conservatives about Trump’s abortion stance
Today’s highlights include:
- Federal judge appears skeptical of Democrats’ lawsuit.
- Antisemitic mailers show up in Savannah.
- House members seek to honor former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
At times, former President Donald Trump’s stance on abortion has angered conservatives, who are upset he has declined to support a national abortion ban and criticized a six-week limit in his home state of Florida.
Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, might as well have been dispatched to the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition gala on Monday to reassure conservatives wary of Trump’s position.
Vance reminded a ballroom full of evangelical leaders and Republican activists that it was Trump who engineered the demise of Roe v. Wade by tapping three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court’s decision was not only a victory for the Constitution. It was a victory and a testament to the resolve of tens of millions of pro-life Americans who never gave up,” he told the packed Cobb Galleria Centre ballroom.
“Now we’re united in our gratitude and our admiration for these devoted defenders of the unborn and for the judges, justices, and especially President Trump, whose commitment to defending the law and the Constitution allowed this breakthrough after over 50 years.”
Democrats are betting that the anti-abortion stances will backfire. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign wrapped up a statewide bus tour last week that focused on her pledge to reinstate Roe if she prevails. Georgia Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff leveled one of the sharpest attacks.
“What more do we need to know then that the same Donald Trump who bragged on tape about sexually assaulting women has taken control over the most personal healthcare reproductive decisions for women in Georgia?”
Harris’ campaign, meanwhile, also highlighted a new investigation from ProPublica that found at least two Georgia women died after they were unable to receive proper medical care after the state implemented abortion restrictions.
One woman, Amber Thurman, died two weeks after attorneys for the state defended the six-week abortion ban.
Thurman had faced complications after obtaining a legal medicated abortion and went to Piedmont Henry Hospital where she needed fetal tissue removed from her body. However, the state’s new law made performing the procedure a felony with few exceptions for women who were as far along as Thurman.
Although doctors eventually operated on Thurman, a state review found that her death was preventable because care was delayed for 20 hours. She left behind a 6-year-old son.
A spokesman for Gov. Brian Kemp told ProPublica its reporting was a “fear-mongering campaign.”
Harris said Trump deserves the blame for the deaths for ensuring the Supreme Court would overturn federal protections for abortion access.
“This is exactly what we feared when Roe was struck down,” Harris said in a statement released this morning. “In more than 20 states, Trump abortion bans are preventing doctors from providing basic medical care.”
***
GOOD MORNING. We’re 48 days away from the presidential election. It’ll be a busy week on the campaign trail in Georgia, with visits by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, and first lady Gwen Walz. Republican presidential nominee — U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio — spoke in Cobb County last night.
Here’s three things to know for today:
- The stars are coming out tonight for a tribute to honor former President Jimmy Carter for his upcoming 100th birthday. A concert at the Fox Theater includes the likes of Eric Church, Drive-By-Truckers, Maren Morris, The War and Treaty as well as BeBe Winans. Doors open at 6:30.
- The results from the AJC’s latest poll are in, and your political insiders are busy poring over the results. Expect the first story to drop on Wednesday.
- Prosecutors on Monday accused Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of lying in wait for nearly 12 hours for a potential attack on former President Donald Trump. The attack was thwarted by a Secret Service agent, and now Routh faces federal gun charges.
***
BURYING THE HATCHET. The last time former President Donald Trump was in Georgia, he called Republican Gov. Brian Kemp “a bad guy, a disloyal guy, and a very bad governor” and first lady Marty Kemp simply “the wife.”
But Trump’s running mate, Republican U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, had a different message at the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition gala on Monday. He referred to the first couple as “your incredible, patriotic, and very effective governor, Brian Kemp, and his lovely wife Marty.”
***
SPOTTED. State Republicans were out in force last night at the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition gala. Along with the Kemps, we spotted:
- Spiro Amburn, former top aide to the late House Speaker David Ralston.
- Attorney General Chris Carr.
- State Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens.
- Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega.
- Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, whose Greater Georgia group was a sponsor of the evening.
- Rough Draft Atlanta publisher Keith Pepper.
- Faith and Freedom founder Ralph Reed.
And on a happy note, Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson told the group his Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is responding well to treatment. “The pancreatic mass is shrinking and the liver is healing,” he said.
***
WRITING ON THE WALL? Georgia Democrats are trying to overturn a 2021 law that lets Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and a few other officials raise unlimited amounts of campaign cash. But based on Monday’s hearing before a federal judge, their chances of succeeding are not looking good.
U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen appeared skeptical of Democrats’ arguments and questioned whether the party has standing to bring the lawsuit at all, according to the AJC’s David Wickert, who was in the courtroom for Monday’s hearing.
“There are a lot of what I’d call bad laws,” Cohen said. “I can’t rewrite bad laws. The only thing I can do is call them out when they’re unconstitutional.”
We’ll know soon enough. Cohen said he plans to issue a ruling by next week.
***
ANTISEMITIC MAILERS. Savannahians recently joined residents of several Atlanta-area neighborhoods as targets for antisemitic flyers. The propaganda letters began arriving in mailboxes last week and falsely claimed to be from the Democratic Party.
Aaron “Adot” Whitely, chair of the Chatham County Democratic Party, condemned the flyers, calling them a “vile act of antisemitism by anonymous agitators,” according to the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer.
“Chatham Democrats will always stand with our friends, family and neighbors of all faiths and nationalities against bigotry, racism and discrimination,” Whitely said. “We will never allow hate in any form to divide us.”
It is unknown how many of the letters, sent in hand-addressed envelopes to the “current resident” of a particular mailing address, were circulated.
Antisemitic flyers have plagued Atlanta neighborhoods for much of the last two years and are typically distributed in plastic baggies weighed down by corn kernels and thrown into driveways. Targets have included DeKalb County near the Emory University campus, Alpharetta, Carrollton, Dunwoody, Newnan, Rockmart, Roswell and Sandy Springs.
Outside metro Atlanta, flyers have been distributed in Cartersville, Columbus and Macon as well as Savannah.
***
BIOMASS. Georgia Power could soon be getting more electricity from burning wood. But not everyone is happy about it.
Today, state regulators are scheduled to vote on whether to let the utility purchase nearly 80 megawatts of electricity from a trio of biomass plants to help provide power to its more than 2.7 million customers.
Biomass is material from plants and animals that can be used for energy. Georgia is a huge producer of wood pellets made from its trees. For context, one megawatt of electricity is enough to power between 400 and 900 homes.
Biomass is expensive, costing ratepayers about two to three times more than it would to get power from other sources. Critics say it’s not worth the money. The Southern Environmental Law Center notes that in one of these biomass contracts, ratepayers will pay three times the value of the amount of energy they get.
But for some elected members of the Georgia Public Service Commission, these biomass contracts would provide more than just electricity. They would also be a source for rural jobs by providing new markets for the state’s timber industry.
As the AJC’s Meris Lutz reports, Georgia has become a biomass titan, providing a lot of power for Europe.
“We represent everyone in state, not just Georgia Power ratepayers,” Commissioner Tim Echols said.
***
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Jordan Fuchs with the Georgia secretary of state’s office joins the show. Also, listeners will hear a pre-taped interview with Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander ahead of the “Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song” event happening tonight.
You can listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us.
On Monday’s show, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman discussed the latest developments in the election interference case. The AJC’s Michael E. Kanell spoke about the economy.
***
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden will receive a briefing on the federal response to ongoing wildfires and will meet at the White House with World Bank President Ajay Banga.
- The U.S. House returns this evening for votes.
- The Senate has more confirmation votes lined up and Democrats will attempt to move forward on legislation creating federal protections for in vitro fertilization.
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., will lead a Senate Financial Institutions and Community Development Subcommittee hearing on problems in the privatized student loan market.
***
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. We’re 48 days away from the election. Here’s what’s happening:
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will deliver remarks at a campaign fundraiser in Washington.
- Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in a question-and-answer session with members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia.
- Former President Donald Trump will participate in a town hall in Flint, Michigan, moderated by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
- U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio — Trump’s running mate — will speak at rallies in Sparta, Michigan, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — Harris’ running mate —will attend political events in Atlanta and Macon.
- When We All Vote, former first lady Michelle Obama’s nonpartisan voting initiative, will push voter registration at tonight’s WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky at the Gateway Center Arena.
***
CARING FOR CAREGIVERS. Dozens of U.S. House members have signed a letter asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to honor the late former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s memory by establishing an Office of Caregiver Health.
This new unit would look for ways to support people who are caring for family members and loved ones, including ways to address any financial, mental and physical strains.
“The late former First Lady Rosalynn Carter believed that the establishment of a new Office of Caregiver Health at the HHS would dismantle silos that are barriers to progress by creating ways to coordinate support for the needs of caregivers,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, took the lead on making the request. The 26 other signers include eight more members of Georgia’s delegation: all five Democrats plus Republican Reps. Barry Loudermilk of Cassville, Rick Allen of Augusta and Drew Ferguson of The Rock.
***
SHOUTOUTS. Today’s birthday:
- Nels S.D. Peterson, presiding justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.
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.
***
AS ALWAYS, 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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