Georgia GOP defends Donald Trump’s tariffs, though some are cautious

Today’s newsletter highlights:

Georgia law firms oppose Donald Trump’s crackdown on the legal industry.
Jon Ossoff announces $11 million fundraising haul.
Brian Kemp mulls digital driver’s license bill.

Taking stock

Credit: Yuki Iwamura/AP

Credit: Yuki Iwamura/AP

As Wall Street reeled from another chaotic sell-off over fears of a deepening trade war, Georgia Republicans in Washington were quick to defend President Donald Trump’s tariffs. But back home, state GOP leaders were noticeably more cautious.

Gov. Brian Kemp sidestepped a direct answer on the fallout. Rather than weighing in on the economic turbulence on Wall Street, he said in a statement through his spokesman that he’s focusing on bringing “good-paying jobs and investment to all corners of our state.”

Attorney General Chris Carr, the first GOP candidate for governor, declined comment. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, also expected to run for Kemp’s office, didn’t immediately weigh in, though he’s issued supportive statements about Trump’s economic policies in the past.

The most full-throated endorsement came from Insurance Commissioner John King, who backed the tariffs without hesitation.

”President Trump is keeping his promise to put America first and negotiating better deals with countries that have taken advantage of us — and were allowed to do so by weak politicians,” he said. “We have to give the president and his team room to negotiate.”

While some of Georgia’s leaders are being careful, investors have been clear: they’re not a fan of Trump’s tariffs. The taxes on imports threaten to raise prices on a host of consumer goods, prompting panicky sell-offs that have roiled markets.

All three major U.S. indexes started Monday with sharp drops. But the markets rallied briefly on the back of a false rumor that Trump was considering a three month pause in the tariffs. The S&P 500 ended the day down 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.9%. The Nasdaq composite was up by 0.1%.

Global markets showed a modest rebound this morning.

Things to know

Credit: AJC file photo

Good morning! Here are three things to know today:

The all-Republican Public Service Commission hasn’t had an election since 2020 because of a long running redistricting court battle. Now, the field is set for a pair of elections this year, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
State officials on Monday revoked the license of a Georgia day care after an employee at the church-run facility was accused of drugging three toddlers ahead of nap time, the AJC’s Shaddi Abusaid reports.
The federal government has fined BioLab $61,000, saying the company improperly stored chemicals that caused a fire leading to hospitalizations, road closures and the evacuation of 17,000 people near its Conyers facility, the AJC’s David Aaro reports.

Legal battle

Credit: AP

A handful of Georgia law firms are opposing President Donald Trump’s push to punish lawyers who have either investigated him or he perceives as adversaries.

Trump has issued several executive orders targeting some of the country’s most prestigious law firms, including Perkins Coie, the Seattle based firm that represented Hillary Clinton, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump’s order moved to strip the firm of its security clearances, terminate its federal contracts and restrict its employees’ access to federal buildings.

Perkins Coie has sued to block the order. Bondurant Mixson & Elmore, Caplan Cobb, and Krevolin & Horst are among the Atlanta-based law firms that have joined a brief opposing the order, warning that it poses “a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law itself.”

“The Executive Order at issue in this case, and the others like it, take direct aim at several of the Nation’s leading law firms and seek to cow every other firm, large and small, into submission,” the amicus brief says.

Big money

Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is off to a fast start in fundraising for his 2026 reelection, garnering more than $11 million during the first quarter.

To put that number in perspective, GOP Attorney General Chris Carr impressed Georgia politicos last year when he announced that he had raised $2 million in the first 40 days of his campaign in the race for governor in 2026.

Ossoff’s campaign has not released details, but said in a news release the haul set a record at this stage of the race for an incumbent senator.

He’ll certainly need it, as Republicans look to make him their top Senate target in the 2026 midterm elections.

The freshman Democrat is a prolific fundraiser. He shattered records during his 2017 special election bid for a U.S. House seat and amassed $153.6 million during the 2020 Senate race.

Timing is everything

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

State lawmakers on Friday agreed to spend roughly $38 billion over the next year. Now, they can only hope the money will be there to spend.

While lawmakers decide how to spend the money, it’s Gov. Brian Kemp who decides how much money is available to spend. His administration’s revenue estimates are the basis for the annual operating budget.

This year, lawmakers were having a tough time making the budget balance, as is required by law. Kemp helped things along on Friday when he added an extra $50 million to the revenue estimate, citing higher interest earnings.

While Kemp was feeling hopeful, the markets were running scared. Global markets tumbled on Friday and again on Monday in response to the new tariffs, raising fears of a recession.

Legislative leaders brushed off any concerns. House Appropriations Chair Matt Hatchett said if things go south, lawmakers can just return in a special session to cut the budget.

“We can always come back,” the Dublin Republican said.

AG preview?

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

The final day of Georgia’s legislative session gave us a peek at the potential Republican primary for attorney general in 2026.

State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, has already filed the paperwork to run. And state Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, is also a potential candidate. That’s why politicos were watching closely when the two went toe-to-toe Friday on the Senate floor.

Both were trying to attach late amendments to a bill that had the votes to pass. And each accused the other of abusing the legislative process to force through last-minute legislation.

The tense exchange ended when Strickland declared, “I think we’re done.”

In the end, Strickland won. The Senate backed his amendment to make it easier for film production companies to pay taxes on vehicles. And lawmakers rejected Cowsert’s proposal that sought to limit the disclosure of insurance coverage in some lawsuits.

That’s just a taste of what’s to come during next year’s election-year session.

Digital ID

Credit: AJC file image

Lawmakers have decided Georgia’s digital driver’s licenses are good enough for the highway, but not for the voting booth.

A bill that cleared the Legislature last week would require all police departments to accept digital driver’s licenses by July 1, 2027. But it wouldn’t apply at the ballot box. You’d still need a hard copy of your license to go vote.

Georgia has had these licenses since 2023, and more than 420,000 people carry them on their phones. But for now, about the only place you can use them is the TSA security line at the airport. If Kemp were to sign the bill into law, it would be one step closer to eliminating the need to carry a physical wallet.

The bill is one of hundreds of proposals lawmakers sent to the governor this year. He has until May 14 to decide whether to sign them into law or block them.

Listen up

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Today on “Politically Georgia,” the hosts recap the wild last moments of Sine Die and round up the big winners and losers from the 2025 legislative session. Plus, there’s an interview with state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta.

Have a question or comment for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today in Washington

President Donald Trump will plant a tree to replace a magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson at the White House, sign executive orders and deliver remarks in the evening at a dinner for the campaign arm for U.S. House Republicans.
The House has votes scheduled in the early afternoon.
The Senate will vote on more of Trump’s nominees.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, will chair a Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee hearing on reducing the number of federally owned properties.

Shoutouts

Transitions:

Andrew Johnson is the new policy adviser for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington. A native of Marietta, Johnson is the former deputy commissioner for the Georgia Department of Community Health. He was most recently a health care consultant with Policybright Solutions and Capital City Public Affairs.

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