Donald Trump reignites tensions with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp: 'Bad guy' and 'Disloyal'

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump tore into Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday, claiming the fellow Republican was hurting his reelection campaign in the Peach State. Trump also criticized Kemp for not helping his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

“He’s a bad guy. He’s a disloyal guy and he’s a very average governor,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Atlanta in one of several comments aimed at Kemp, along with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another Republican who resisted Trump's efforts to overturn his loss to President Biden in the state. “Little Brian Kemp,” Trump called the governor.

Trump’s attacks reignited tensions between him and Georgia Republicans. The former president lost the state narrowly in 2020 and heavily pressured Kemp and Raffensperger to reverse his defeat. Trump was indicted last year by an Atlanta grand jury for his attempt to overturn the election.

“In my opinion, they want us to lose,” Trump said of Kemp and Raffensperger.

Trump’s attacks on Kemp and Raffensperger are notable given Georgia is one of a handful of battleground states that will determine the winner of the upcoming presidential election and Kemp is popular in the Peach State.

Kemp hit back at Trump earlier on Saturday, responding to a post the former president made on Truth Social which also went after the governor’s wife, Marty Kemp.

“My focus is on winning this November and saving our country from Kamala Harris and the Democrats - not engaging in petty personal insults, attacking fellow Republicans, or dwelling on the past,” Kemp said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “You should do the same, Mr. President, and leave my family out of it.”

During his rally, Trump claimed Kemp was to blame for crime in Georgia, saying “Atlanta is like a killing field,” under his leadership. Georgia “has gone to hell,” Trump said.

Kemp did not vote for Trump in this year’s GOP primaries, telling CNN in June he instead casted a blank ballot because “at that point, it didn’t really matter.” Ultimately though, Kemp said he will vote for the GOP ticket.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump reignites tensions with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp: 'Bad guy' and 'Disloyal'