Donald Trump plans blitz of Georgia visits as presidential race tightens

That’s what some senior Georgia Republicans are wondering as Vice President Kamala Harris will make her second trip to the state today in roughly three weeks, this time to focus on abortion.

But things are changing, as Trump is expected to announce a rally in Savannah slated for next week and appears likely to attend the Georgia-Alabama game in Tuscaloosa. Senior aides say that a blitz of visits to Georgia is planned.

He could be making up for lost time. Trump’s last rally in Georgia was in early August and any message he had to voters during that Atlanta event was overshadowed by his 10-minute tirade against Gov. Brian Kemp.

The abrupt revival of his long-running — and one-sided — feud with the popular second-term governor managed to both confuse and enrage local Republicans already worried about the tight race in Georgia.

Since then, both Trump and Kemp have tried to calm the waters.

Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, gushed about Kemp as “incredible, patriotic and very effective” at a speech to evangelical leaders in Atlanta earlier this week. Kemp singled out Trump for praise rather than simply nodding to the Republican ticket.

Some veteran state GOP officials offered gallows humor about Trump’s absence from a state that both campaigns see as crucial. Said one: “If my visit was as much of a disaster as his last one, I’d stay away for a while, too.”

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GOOD MORNING! The presidential election is in 46 days. It’s not just the candidates giving Georgia attention. Stevie Wonder announced a pre-election tour of swing states that includes a concert in Atlanta on Oct. 19.

Here’s three things to know for today:

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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

GUN SAFETY. Since House Speaker Jon Burns rolled out a series of gun safety measures last week, neither of his fellow Republican leaders — Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov Burt Jones — has followed suit with their own plans.

But Burns said he isn’t concerned. He told the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer that House lawmakers have embraced his plan, which calls for expanded mental health services, incentives for gun safety devices and crackdowns on school safety threats after this month’s mass shooting at Apalachee High School.

“School safety is a topic that resonates with all constituents. The legislative plan is not a knee-jerk reaction and it was not timed to the election cycle,” Burns said.

“Finding solutions is the right thing to do as representatives of our communities. We have the resources to address the issues.”

Burns said the fatal shooting of two students and two teachers also had a personal impact on him given his wife Dayle’s background as an educator.

“She understands the dynamics of how these kinds of interactions occur,” he said. “I’m going to lean on her and her experiences as we craft some good strategies. We already know one thing: teachers can’t do this alone.”

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THE LOVE OF MONEY. “The economy, stupid” has lingered so long in the political lexicon because it contains a simple truth: voters care about their bottom lines.

It’s why, last week, the first question of the high-stakes presidential debate was about the economy. It’s why President Donald Trump’s campaign has tied Vice President Kamala Harris to the inflation that has increased the prices of most goods and services.

And it’s why a decision by the Federal Reserve to cut a key interest rate this week could be good news for Harris’ campaign.

The rate cut signals that the inflation problem is getting better. It’s also in line with voters’ attitudes in the swing state of Georgia. A new AJC poll out this week found 58% of Georgians say they expect the economy to improve over the next year.

“Couple that with falling gas prices right before the election, this may play into winning over some voters,” said Keith Lee, a political science professor at Valdosta State University.

But the rate cut also is a sign the economy could be slowing. Regulators are trying to tame high prices without tipping the economy into a recession — a delicate maneuver that many prognosticators are hopeful the Fed can pull off.

That’s why it could still be difficult for Harris to convince voters to trust her with the economy. After all, that same AJC poll found an even larger number — 64% — still say the country is headed down the wrong track.

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CLINTON CARTER. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s new book, “Something Lost, Something Gained,” drew inspiration from Jason Carter. He’s the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.

Clinton told “The View” that Jason Carter’s description of first ladies as a “sisterhood of presidential wives” during his memorable eulogy for his grandmother Rosalynn Carter stuck with her as she wrote her book.

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Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Tara Setmayer, co-founder of the women-led super PAC Seneca Project, and Mallory Hagan-Stramara, the group’s press secretary, talk about abortion, polling and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Georgia visit. Also, Yana Batra, co-founder and CEO of the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, talks about the school walkouts in response to the shooting at Apalachee High School.

You can listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.

On Thursday’s show, Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for the Georgia secretary of state’s office, discussed the latest AJC poll results. Also, the AJC’s Joe Kovac Jr. gave an update on voter voices in Macon.

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Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC

Credit: Alyssa Pointer/AJC

SPOTTED. State Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta, participated in a panel discussion during this week’s National HBCU Week conference in Philadelphia.

Halpern had a bill last year that would have studied creating planning districts surrounding Georgia’s historically Black colleges and universities to better support their mission. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the House.

Now, Halpern said she’s retooling her proposal to try again next year.

“I will continue to be looking for ways … that allows us to put more investments in the schools, recognizing that they are important assets of the state,” Halpern said.

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Credit: Elijah Nouvelage for the AJC

Credit: Elijah Nouvelage for the AJC

WELL OK THEN. The AJC’s Ariel Hart caught up with former Georgia U.S. Rep. Tom Price this week at the annual Health Connect South conference in Atlanta. Price spent seven months as former President Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services before he resigned after a scandal over his use of private jets.

Would he consider serving in a second Trump administration?

“I think that’s one of the most remote possibilities that you’ve ever come up with in your entire life,” Price told Hart.

He shared a photo of what he called the future: his first grandson — now 22 months old and a very handsome screen saver.

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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

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OPRAH’S ON. Vice President Kamala Harris’ conversation with Oprah Winfrey last night included a guest appearance by the mother of Amber Thurman, a Georgia woman who died from complications from an abortion two weeks after the state’s restrictive law took effect in 2022.

Shanette Williams said the most difficult part for her to reconcile is that her daughter’s death was preventable, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu reports. It was the first time Williams has spoken publicly since details of her daughter’s death were reported by ProPublica earlier this week.

Harris has consistently tied the bans in Georgia and other states to former Republican President Donald Trump, her opponent in the November election.

“This story is a story that is, sadly, not the only story of what has been happening since these bans have taken place,” she said.

Natalie Griffith, a 15-year-old Apalachee High School student, also appeared with Harris and Winfrey. Griffith was one of nine people injured earlier this month when a 14-year-old boy shot and killed two students and two teachers at the high school in Winder.

Griffith was joined by her parents at the virtual town hall. Marilda Griffith cried as she told the story of fearing for her daughter’s safety after learning about the shooting.

“You don’t know what it feels like until it’s you,” Griffith said through tears. “You know a lot of people that are here, mothers. What are we doing about this?”

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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. Events today and into the weekend include:

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

AN ELECTION STORY. Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, is among the experts featured in a new one-hour PBS special about why political divisions run so deep.

“Deadlock: an election story,” which premieres tonight at 9 p.m., was filmed before a live audience in New York City earlier this month. Guests include U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney and New York Times reporter Astead Herndon.

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SHOUTOUTS. Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

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AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.