More GOP Infighting Amid Leaks and New Criticism of Kemp’s “Fiasco” Appointment Process

Georgia Republicans continue spiraling into “an all-out Republican feud” over “dangerous” Senate choice that could rip party apart

ATLANTA — After a week full of tumultuous infighting and attacks from all sides on Governor* Brian Kemp and his ”fiasco” of a Senate appointment process, leaks continue to pour in from the GOP with newly revealed information suggesting Kemp might appoint Kelly Loeffler to the Senate — and risk “an all-out Republican feud on next year’s ballot.”

As reported by the AJC’s Greg Bluestein this morning, “[Loeffler’s] appointment would do little to tamp down the internal Republican fighting over the seat.” And it would come after President Trump and others mounted a desperate last-minute push to convince the governor to change his mind, involving Twitter feuds and a secret meeting that “turned tense and ended quickly,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Now Kemp is in a no-win position after conservative activists have already spent the week slamming him and Loeffler, calling her “the wrong choice” and saying that she is “unacceptable” and “should be disqualified.” Even a member of Kemp’s own party in Congress is questioning Kemp’s “judgement” for a pick that hasn’t been announced yet, calling for him to be primaried in 2022. And that comes after another prominent Republican activist trashed not only Loeffler but Kemp‘s entire process: “This whole thing about appointing a replacement for Isakson has turned into a fiasco.” 

With Collins still threatening to run in a move that would lead to “a divisive 2020 battle,” Georgia Republicans continue to face a gloomy outlook either way for a vulnerable Senate seat they can’t afford to lose. No matter what move Kemp makes, he’s already hurt his party and escalated tension to dangerous levels in a cycle that already spells “2020 trouble for Republicans,”

“Today’s new leaks and increased infighting just show how badly Governor Kemp’s appointment process has backfired, further imperiling an already vulnerable seat for his own party,” said Alex Floyd, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “At this point, whatever pick Kemp makes will be significantly damaged, forced to limp into November 2020 facing inflamed tensions and internal fights at a time when Georgia Republicans can’t afford either.”

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