Georgia’s GOP Governor, Brian Kemp, issued a warning Saturday, cautioning against turning the election into a battle of personalities rather than focusing on the issues and solutions that matter to the American people.
In a speech delivered at Washington and Lee University’s Mock Convention, Kemp urged his party to offer a positive vision for the future rather than engage in political mudslinging.
“This election should be about results, not personalities. It should be about the future of our country, not a race to the bottom,” Kemp said to students at Washington and Lee University’s Mock Convention Saturday.
“Because if this general election becomes a debate about who can outlast the other 80-year-old politician, the American people lose,” Kemp said. “Voters know they don’t like Joe Biden and his complete lack of leadership.”
Kemp’s speech at the Mock Convention in Lexington, Virginia, conveyed his concern that such a focus would lead to the American people losing out on meaningful discussions about the issues that affect their lives. While Kemp did not mention former President Donald Trump by name, his remarks were seen as a departure from the former president’s style of campaigning.
Kemp also urged Republicans to communicate what they would do for the country if given the opportunity to lead.
During his speech, he expressed his frustration with the influence of fringe elements within political parties and criticized leaders who shy away from confronting these elements due to fear of backlash from the media.
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Kemp drew from his own experiences and emphasized the need for strong leadership that is not swayed by the extremes.
Kemp also pushed the need to avoid dwelling on past elections, particularly the 2020 election.
Despite Donald Trump’s claims of a stolen election in Georgia, Kemp has publicly stated that the 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen.
Despite the strained relationship between Kemp and Trump, unity within the Republican Party remains crucial, which has been echoed among GOP leaders. Kemp’s speech came shortly after Donald Trump Jr., Texas GOP Rep. Wesley Hunt, and Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin addressed the crowd.
While neither Kemp nor Youngkin explicitly endorsed Trump, Youngkin emphasized the need for Republicans to unite around a nominee with universal support.
“I still believe we must put forward a positive vision for the future to the American people — and I think there is no better place to start than the success of Republican governors across the country,” Kemp said.
Calls For Unity
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is releasing a new video on Friday, first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, calling on the GOP to unite around former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign following his massive win in Nevada.
Trump secured 99% of the share in the Nevada caucus on Thursday, where he essentially ran unopposed, after winning majorities in the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucus in January. The speaker’s video compiles media reports from each of Trump’s wins and echoes Johnson’s previous calls for Republican unity to defeat President Joe Biden in November.
“It is more clear than ever before: President Biden must be defeated,” Johnson told the DCNF in a statement. “Following victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, the US Virgin Islands, and Nevada, it is time for Republicans to unite behind President Trump so we can focus on ending the disastrous Biden presidency and growing our majority in Congress.”
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Johnson endorsed Trump for 2024 “wholeheartedly” shortly after he won the gavel with unanimous Republican support in late October.
All members of House Republican leadership are supporting the former president’s bid, including GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Republican Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer of Alabama.
“I am convinced he’s going to be the next President of the United States, that he will get a second term, and I am very much looking forward to that happening,” Johnson can be heard saying in the video.
Biden hasn’t led in the RealClearPolitics (RCP) average for a potential rematch with Trump since early September, and is now down by two points. The former president is leading Biden by several points in crucial battleground states like Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada.
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Nevada held both a state-run primary and a party-run caucus for the Republican nomination this week. Former Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak signed legislation in 2021 mandating a primary for presidential elections, but the Nevada GOP decided to keep its decades-old caucus process.
Haley opted to participate in the primary, along with former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who are no longer in the race. The former ambassador came in second to the “None of These Candidates” option on Tuesday, losing by 33 points.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum were set to compete in the caucus before withdrawing their candidacies. Businessman Ryan Binkley was the only other candidate who participated in the caucus other than Trump, and he received a mere 536 votes.
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The former president also won the U.S. Virgin Islands caucus on Thursday evening where he received nearly 74% of the share compared to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s 26%, according to The Associated Press.
Trump won 51% support in the Iowa caucus on Jan. 15, and Haley came in third place with 19.1%. In New Hampshire’s primary, the former president beat Haley by 11 points.
The next nominating contest is in Haley’s home state of South Carolina on Feb. 24, where Trump is currently leading by over 30 points in the RCP average.
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