Georgia Republicans are expected to unite in support of candidate Donald Trump, but one former lawmaker disagrees.
And the Peach State Republican Party chairman is warning that there will be consequences for former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s betrayal in supporting the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee over the party’s standard-bearer.
In an open letter posted on social media on Friday, Josh McKeown Following Duncan’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, he issued a series of vindictive threats against his future in the Georgia Republican Party, essentially doubling down on his previous support for President Biden.
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“As the chair of the Georgia Republican Party, I am writing to request that you stop calling yourself a Republican. You are not,” McKeown argued. “You are not and never will be considered a Republican.”
The chairman alleges “desperate and absurd claims” to endorse Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for president and inexplicable opposition to the 2022 presidential election. [current LG] The ludicrous attempt by Bert Jones, Herschel Walker, and you to run for President as independents violates the oath of allegiance you repeatedly swore when you qualified for Republican office.”
McKune also described Duncan as an opportunist who changes political positions to suit the times, saying “his animosity toward President Trump makes little sense.”
“When you ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, you went so far as to imitate Trump like a chimpanzee and falsely claim to support Trump. In 2020, you begged for the opportunity to speak on Trump’s behalf at Trump rallies and the Republican National Convention. But it’s now become clear that selling yourself to CNN as a Trump critic is a way to provide for yourself and your family. You won’t do that anymore, claiming to be a Republican.”
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McKoon has proposed a series of solutions to seal Duncan’s fate within the party that was once his political stronghold, including a resolution from the state Republican Executive Committee to bar Duncan from running for the Republican nomination on the grounds that any “pledge of allegiance” would be false.
He is calling for a similar system from the national party, with Duncan pledged to “be treated as a trespasser if he attends any Georgia Republican Party event, meeting, caucus or convention.”
The Republican Party in every county and congressional district in the state of Georgia will be urged to issue you the same warning and condition.”
Duncan, meanwhile, has cast his support and defence of Harris as evidence of his “commitment to this country.”
“I’m going to be a little humble here in order to do the right thing, and the right thing is to defeat Donald Trump,” Duncan told CNN in a recent interview. “He’s reckless on his good days, but he’s dangerous on his bad days.”
He offered a “above the fray” type of support. Atlanta Journal-Constitution In an op-ed this week, he offered constructive criticism of Harris.
Duncan urged her to “distance herself from the timeless statements she made during the 2020 Democratic primary… acknowledge that certain policies of this Administration have room for improvement… and choose her running mate based on substance and ability to govern, not a cloned personality.” [and] Step outside of the comfort of your party venue.”
Of course, whether Harris has any incentive to do something like this remains an open question, especially considering Duncan has already endorsed her, but polls in the state continue to point to a race that will be just as close as it was in 2020.
A Bloomberg Morning Consult poll this week found Harris and Trump tied at 47% in Georgia, while a Landmark Communications poll released last week gave Trump a slight lead, but within the margin of error.
