Could Trump really be losing his grip?
Tuesday’s primary victory by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has become a serious political setback for former President Donald Trump, as the victory signals voters’ rejection of Trump’s efforts in the state.
So far, Trump-endorsed candidates have lost to incumbents whom Trump expressed his ire toward; this was most apparent in Tuesday’s GOP primary in Georgia, where Trump’s adversaries — Gov. Brian Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — coasted to victory, despite Trump’s best efforts to secure his candidates’ victories.
The losses of Trump-endorsed candidates also displayed the former President’s limits when exacting vengeance against his perceived enemies. For over a year, after vowing he would exact vengeance on those who failed to assist him with certifying Georgia’s election results in his favor, Trump tried to ensure Kemp, Carr, and Raffensperger were ousted. Yet, his endorsement of Georgia’s three top Republican officials’ opponents, wasn’t heeded by GOP voters, who overwhelmingly voted in favor of incumbent officials.
But these devastating losses also point to Trump’s grip on the GOP weakening as the former President continues to focus on the 2020 Presidential election and holds on to his false claims of voter fraud.
Discussing Trump’s possible deteriorating influence, Chuck Clay, a former state senator and Georgia GOP chair, noted, “I don’t want to say this is the beginning of the end for Trump, but I do think there’s a move toward the idea that most Americans don’t want to look back.”
Clay added, “You may have some people who aren’t comfortable with the last election, but they’re not out there saying it was outright stolen.”
