The last time Donald Trump visited Georgia more than a year ago, he found a smaller and less enthusiastic crowd than the days when he was president. His next trip here is likely to feature a much warmer reception.
Rather than hold a rally at a sprawling airfield or fairground, Trump will be guaranteed a devoted audience by making his first stop in in the state for this campaign cycle at the Georgia GOP convention in Columbus on June 10.
It’s a win for Trump, since he’ll be warmly received, and a win for the party, since Gov. Brian Kemp and other GOP statewide leaders have announced they’re skipping the convention of the increasingly hard line, mostly pro-Trump activists.
The convention hall will be packed with more than 1,000 party loyalists, most who had to earn a spot as a delegate or alternate to enter the convention, including some who booted more moderate picks to get there.
“For a brief moment, Columbus, Georgia will be the center of the political universe,” GOP Chair David Shafer told WSB Radio’s Shelley Wynter Wednesday, adding that another presidential contender will also attend and be announced later today.
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Some grassroots activists were thrilled at the word of Trump’s plans to attend.
“We are honored to host him here in southwest Georgia, at our ever important and ever so special event,” read a Facebook post from the Taylor County GOP. “Like the man or not, he stands for the everyday working class people in America.”
Other Republicans weren’t as happy. Scot Turner, a former state legislator, said every candidate should be able to address the convention but doubted Shafer would offer that option to all contenders.
“I’m at a point where I am no longer star-struck by politicians,” Turner said. “So the prospect of hearing the loser of the last election drone endlessly about phony stolen election conspiracies isn’t going to rev my engine.”
Beyond the mystery presidential candidate, other speakers include Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson and U.S. Reps. Rich McCormick and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
In the WSB interview, Shafer downplayed the rift within the state GOP that led Kemp and other top officials to determine weeks ago they would skip the event. He called the governor “wonderful” and lamented Kemp’s “scheduling conflict.”
“Growth is good,” said Shafer, speaking in broad terms. “And these disagreements and tensions are just a part of growth.”
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AMTRAK DELIVERY. Progressives held their breath Wednesday during a razor-thin procedural vote to advance Nancy Abudu’s nomination to the Atlanta-based Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Every Republican and Democrat Joe Manchin voted no, while other Democratic absences left the vote tied for nearly two hours. One of the missing Democrats was Delaware’s Chris Coons, who had traveled to New York City to attend his daughter Maggie’s graduation.
Coons raced to catch a train to Washington immediately after the ceremony to break the 48-48 tie. Minutes before Coons arrived, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez also appeared, which left a final tally of 50-48.
Coons said he was convinced Abudu should serve on the federal bench and “was grateful for the chance to be able to do so tonight even though, logistically, it was a little difficult.”
In a twist, Maggie Coons interned for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s campaign in Georgia last year. Warnock’s victory clinched Democratic control of the Senate this year, which allowed Abudu’s nomination to move forward after it stalled last term.
Republicans have opposed her from the start. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky called Abudu “outside the mainstream” in remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday.
A final vote will happen some time today. Abudu is on tap to become the first Black jurist to serve in a full-time role in a Georgia seat in the Atlanta-based appellate court, which also hears cases from Alabama and Florida.
I caught up with Sen @chriscoons after he rushed to DC from his daughter’s graduation in NYC & cast a deciding vote to advance Nancy Abudu’s nomination to become a federal appellate judge. pic.twitter.com/KzKEwK0yyE
— Tia "Very Calm Sis" Mitchell (@TIAreports) May 18, 2023
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Credit: Bob Andres/AJC
Credit: Bob Andres/AJC
SECOND THOUGHTS. Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts walked back his effort to nominate a Republican to chair the elections board and instead the commission approved for the role the election board’s attorney, Patrise Perkins-Hooker.
Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning groups vocally complained this week when Pitts said he wanted former Republican county commissioner Lee Morris to chair the elections board for the next two years, a move that would have flipped control of the panel from Democrats to Republicans, our colleague Jim Gaines reported.
The Washington Post also reported that U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock had called Pitts asking him to withdraw Morris’ name.
Pitts said Morris sent an email Wednesday morning asking that his nomination be withdrawn, saying he agreed a Democratic-majority county should have a Democratic-led election board.
Edward Lindsey, a Republican member of the state Elections Board, said Morris has “an impeccable reputation for even-handed fairness” and called the moment “a missed opportunity.”
“(Morris’) inclusion would have helped drive a stake into the heart of chronic election deniers and conspiracists and make it far more difficult for anyone to question the results next year.”
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
STILL GOING. Mindful that calls for gun control measures often quiet down once the news cycle moves on from the latest mass shooting, Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will host an event in Washington today with Rep. Lucy McBath, legislators and advocates from gun safety groups.
Warnock, McBath and the others will call for Congress to make gun control a priority in the coming weeks.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- The House has morning votes before members head home for the weekend.
- The Senate will vote on the confirmation of Nancy Abudu.
- President Joe Biden is in Hiroshima, Japan, for the G-7 Summit.
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IMPEACHMENT WEEK. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has introduced a series of articles of impeachment this week and she said she will add more to the list today.
This week alone, Greene has filed the paperwork to remove Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who she said weaponized the Justice Department against former President Donald Trump.
The standard for impeachment is “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
It is unclear if any of the impeachment articles will get a vote on the House floor, but we can’t rule it out with Republicans in charge and Greene closely aligned with Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
It’s also not clear that Republicans have the votes to pass them with their slim majority, especially if more centrist-leaning colleagues balk at supporting Greene’s efforts.
The phones in my office have been ringing off the hook with support!!
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 16, 2023
We’ve heard from countless people today in support of my articles of impeachment against U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
They want to impeach everyone. It’s amazing.
More to…
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FIGHTING WORDS. Greene was once again at the center of another Capitol steps shouting match Wednesday, this time shouting at U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman as he called for Republicans to oust disgraced U.S. Rep. George Santos, which they failed to do earlier in the day.
As Bowman yelled at Greene to “save the party” and “save the children,” Greene said, “Close the border,” and chanted, “Impeach Biden!”
She eventually told Bowman, “You’re not very smart. Pay attention.”
Vox reported that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stepped in to stop Bowman, saying, “She ain’t worth it, bro.”
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Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC
Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC
2026 VIBES. As soon as we reported that Lt. Gov. Burt Jones told a GOP audience this week that he “might” be interested in running for governor in 2026, names of other potential 2026 contenders began popping up in our text messages from supporters casually saying “what about …”
Among the “possibles” was Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, the Ocilla farmer and former state senator who happened to visit the Republican Governors Association and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this week. Also, House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, who was the state’s first female speaker of the House following the death of the late David Ralston.
Had a great time meeting with @GOPGovs yesterday in D.C. to discuss ways to grow and advance the conservative movement in Georgia! #gapol pic.twitter.com/116tqvi2BP
— Tyler Harper (@TylerHarperGA) May 17, 2023
Also sent our way — Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who has been traveling the country lately speaking about elections and democracy, and former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who continues to stay close and active with top state and national Republicans.
The list goes on — and that’s just the Republicans.
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BATTLEGROUND. Well before 2026, Republicans have put Georgia on the shortlist for states that make up their “last line of defense” for state legislative seats.
That’s according to a memo from the Republican State Legislative Committee. Also on the list are GOP-controlled legislatures in Arizona, Florida, New Hampshire, Texas, and the Pennsylvania Senate.
“We have gotten used to having a strong backstop in the states, but our complacency has us trending in the wrong direction and is putting Republicans at risk of no longer controlling a majority of state legislative chambers for the first time since 2010,” the memo reads.
Republicans are right to worry about the Georgia chambers, where Democrats have steadily been chipping away at the GOP majority with gains over the last several cycles.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. It’s time to meet Asher Robinson, the Brookhaven-based golden retriever who calls GOP consultant Brian Robinson his person.
Asher isn’t quoted in the New York Times nearly as often as Robinson. But he is frequently spotted near one little Robinson’s dance school, where he enjoys walks while his small person is inside learning new moves for their dance parties at home later. Good dog, Asher.
Send us your animals of any political persuasion — dogs, cats, geese, etc., to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us on Twitter @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
