Each day of the Republican National Convention, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters are on the ground tracking the news that affects Georgia most. This is today’s dispatch. Read Monday’s, including what Georgia‘s GOP chairman said when casting the state’s votes for Donald Trump, as well as former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s warning about divisive rhetoric, here.
MILWAUKEE — Joe Biden’s campaign on Tuesday warned that a second Donald Trump administration would have ”frightening” effects on the economy and access to health care, taking aim at Project 2025 as delegates gathered for the Republican National Convention.
An event blocks away from Fiserv Forum featured U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who warned that Trump’s administration would gut Social Security, further restrict abortion access for women and eliminate the Affordable Care Act for millions of Americans.
Booker said voters have a “clear choice” at the ballot box in November, saying Republicans in Congress have repeatedly tried to “strip away health care from Americans” while undermining reproductive rights.
Project 2025 was developed by some of Trump’s allies at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank. It backs deploying the military to the U.S. border, disbanding the U.S. Commerce Department, repealing climate protections and overhauling other aspects of the federal government. Trump and his allies have distanced themselves from the effort.
“Donald Trump’s Republican Party will always choose big, greedy, anti-union extremists over the working men and women of America,” said Quentin Fulks, a veteran Georgia operative who is Biden’s deputy campaign manager.
He was joined by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Both raised concerns Trump and his vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, would dismantle union protections for blue-collar workers and side with large corporations wherever possible.
“We need a president who fights for working people, not ultrabillionaires,” Wikler said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that it is investing nearly $1 million in Georgia to boost down-ballot candidates and help fund what it called “the best coordinated campaign ground game” ever laid in the battleground state.
The DNC also launched a billboard campaign against the Trump-Vance ticket on the second day of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, rolling out 16 campaign billboards across the city and another that is mobile.
(Shaddi Abusaid / AJC)
(Shaddi Abusaid / AJC)
Kemp dismisses Project 2025 as Democratic campaign ploy
MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump and his congressional allies have distanced themselves for weeks from Project 2025, the set of conservative policy blueprints that have enraged Democrats. On Tuesday, it was Gov. Brian Kemp’s turn.
Asked about the blueprint at the CNN-Politico Grill, Kemp noted that he hasn’t read the nearly 900-page document, let alone endorse it. But he echoed the former president’s avowal that the controversial proposals aren’t part of his second-term agenda.
“I have a lot of supporters who have different ideas on policy than I do,” Kemp said. “They put things out there and want you to sign this pledge or that pledge. To me, the Democrats jumped on this and are trying to get their base excited about being against something.”
