ATHENS, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp made his first public appearance Wednesday following attacks from former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally on Saturday.
At the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Congressional Luncheon, Kemp focused solely on Georgia’s economy and his vision for the future, without mentioning Trump or responding to his remarks.
A large crowd of Georgia business leaders gave Kemp a standing ovation as he took the stage.
The governor discussed the state’s economic progress but did not address Trump’s comments from the recent rally.
“I’ve had you up to here, Brian. I’ve had you up to here. He’s a bad guy and he’s not doing this country a good service,” Trump said Saturday, blaming Kemp for his 2020 loss in Georgia while repeating false claims of election fraud.
Despite Trump’s criticism, many Georgia politicians and public figures have expressed support for Kemp.
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Even Andy Stanley, a well-known pastor of Georgia’s largest church, showed his backing for the Governor publicly.
Rep. Mike Collins, who attended both the Trump rally and the luncheon, voiced his continued support for both Trump and Kemp.
“Well, I think, in the state of Georgia, we love our governor,” Collins said. “You know, you always have differences of opinions within the Republican Party. I think that’s one of the things that define us.”
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another frequent target of Trump’s criticisms, criticized the former President’s attack on Kemp.
“When someone has the kind of approval that Governor Kemp has, I would go with that and try and leverage that and have that on my team because people just love Brian Kemp,” Raffensperger said.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to both the Governor’s office and the Trump campaign for comment, but neither responded.
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