Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp took aim at former President Donald Trump Thursday and criticized him for refusing to sign the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) loyalty pledge to support the eventual presidential nominee.
The RNC is requiring GOP presidential candidates sign the pledge to make the first debate stage on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which Trump is considering skipping. Kemp knocked the former president in a tweet for playing “political games” after Trump told Newsmax Wednesday that he would not be signing the loyalty pledge.
“Every Republican running for President would be better than Joe Biden,” Kemp wrote. “Any candidate who does not commit to supporting the eventual nominee is putting themselves ahead of the future of our country. 2024 is too important for political games.”
Along with telling Newsmax he’ll “let it be known next week” whether he’ll attend the first debate, Trump said he wouldn’t sign the pledge because there were several people he wouldn’t want to endorse for president, and took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson during the interview.
“I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president,” Trump said. “So right there, there’s a problem right there. There’s a problem.” (RELATED: ‘I’ll Let It Be Known’: Trump Declines To Say If He Will Attend GOP Debate)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 5: Former President Donald Trump speaks as the keynote speaker at the 56th Annual Silver Elephant Dinner hosted by the South Carolina Republican Party on August 5, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. President Trump was introduced by South Carolina’s Governor Henry McMaster. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
The RNC is also requiring candidates meet a 40,000 unique donor threshold with at least 200 coming from 20 states or territories, as well as polling criteria. The contenders must be polling at least at 1% in three national polls, or 1% in two national polls and two key early primary state polls — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina.
In mid-June, Kemp warned Republicans to not get “distracted” by the second indictment of Trump, when he was charged for allegedly mishandling classified documents, and that the GOP must focus on winning in 2024. The governor parted ways with Trump in 2020 when he refused to corroborate the former president’s allegations that the Georgia election was stolen from him.
Kemp has since closed the door on running for president next year, but has stoked rumors that he’ll launch a Senate bid once his second term is up in 2026 to challenge Democratic Sen. John Ossoff.
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