Throughout former President Donald Trump’s whirlwind campaign trip to Atlanta on Wednesday, from the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport tarmac to a Chick-fil-A to the St. Regis in Buckhead, there was a constant presence by his side: Brian Jack.
The former aide turned U.S. House candidate was the only person to greet Trump as he arrived in Atlanta and joined the former president as he delivered impromptu remarks to reporters. Between questions about Arizona’s abortion ban and the Fulton County election interference case, Trump introduced Jack to the national media.
“Do you know Brian Jack?” Trump asked. “He is going to be a fantastic congressman. District 3. Very simple name, don’t turn it around, Brian Jack, Jack Brian.”
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Jack recently joined the wide-open race for Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District, and his campaign will test the power of Trump’s endorsement in one of the South’s most conservative districts.
Jack is also the rare candidate who is attempting to meld together Trump’s MAGA base with a more mainstream strain of conservatism. He also served as a deputy to ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and can tap the Californian’s vast fundraising network.
Later today, Jack reports the early fruits of his labor: His campaign said it has raised more than $600,000 since entering the race about three weeks ago. That could give him a big early boost over his Republican primary rivals, which include former Senate GOP leader Mike Dugan, ex-state Sen. Mike Crane and ex-state Rep. Philip Singleton.
Jack also rolled out endorsements from Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. And he unveiled a 30-second ad replete with images of Jack and Trump in the Oval Office and on the campaign trail. It ends with Trump calling Jack a tough, conservative “fighter.”
With scant polling in the race, it’s hard to tell who has the advantage. But Jack is positioning himself as the front-runner, refusing to go negative on other candidates and bypassing early forums. Some of his opponents see him as the candidate to beat.
That was clear during a weekend debate hosted by the conservative Frontline Policy at a Fayetteville church where Jack was represented by an empty chair.
Given a chance to question anyone on stage, Singleton turned to his left and addressed an absent Jack, calling him an “establishment challenger” and a “career politician operative out of D.C. who worked for Kevin McCarthy.”
With just weeks to go until the May 21 GOP primary, this race is about to heat up.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
ON THE LIST. Among the attendees at the high-dollar event for former President Donald Trump’s campaign at the St. Regis were hosts and former U.S. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, former Buckhead City Committee leader (and current Palm Beach resident) Bill White, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
Not on the list, nor seeking invitations, were the Republicans whom Trump fielded primary challengers against in 2022: Gov. Brian Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
The event reportedly exceeded its $5 million goal before it even began. And Trump told reporters in Atlanta his campaign is not sweating the cash advantage the Biden campaign has built over his.
“We don’t need the same kind of money that they need,” he said. “They need more money because they take care of poor politicians. They hand it out like it’s gravy.”
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THE LORD’S CHICKEN. Among former President Donald Trump’s stops in Atlanta was a West End Chick-fil-A restaurant, where he hobnobbed with patrons, ordered 30 milkshakes “and some chicken.” Once his order was up, he handed out several of the milkshakes to diners and said he planned to take the rest for his team.
Filmed on Right Side Broadcasting Network, Trump called Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A “a great franchise” and said the owner, presumably a member of the Cathy family, “is a great man who is a member of one of my clubs, and he’s fantastic.”
He added, “They do very well, and they’re closed on Sunday.” When Brian Glenn of RSBN joked that it’s “the Lord’s chicken,” Trump agreed.
“It’s the Lord’s chicken, you’re right,” he said. “It’s good chicken, too.”
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Credit: Jamie Dupree/AJC
Credit: Jamie Dupree/AJC
EXCUSES, EXCUSES. It was another tumultuous day at work for Republicans in Congress on Wednesday, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, right in the middle of most of it.
Greene huddled for more than an hour with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, driving home her complaints about how the Louisiana Republican has dealt with the GOP agenda in recent months, and discussing her threat to call for a vote to boot him from his leadership post.
“He is leading the opposition party against the Biden administration — and we expect him to lead that way, not to pass the Biden administration’s agenda,” Greene told a mob of reporters just outside the speaker’s office.
Asked how Johnson answered her charges, Greene was blunt. “I got a lot of excuses,” she said.
The Georgia Republican wouldn’t say if — or when — she might force a vote to oust Johnson. “I want to be respectful to our members,” Greene said. “I think this is going to take time. This is something that’s going to take time.”
A few minutes later, House Republicans splintered on a procedural vote, as 19 GOP lawmakers voted to derail a package of reforms on intelligence surveillance laws. It was yet another embarrassing legislative setback for Johnson. Greene isn’t his only problem.
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TOWN HALL TALK. Insider Patricia Murphy attended a constituent town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene this week and unpacks why Greene’s crusade against House Speaker Mike Johnson is limiting her influence in a column published Wednesday at AJC.com.
Greene, R-Rome, labeled Johnson “the Democrat speaker of the House” during her remarks in Tunnel Hill and said the Louisiana Republican is doing a better job of advancing the Democratic agenda than House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat.
Her criticism met with skepticism from some in the crowd and led Murphy to a conclusion.
Taking a swing at Johnson — and missing — could plunge the House GOP back into chaos and further isolate Greene on an island, where even her own supporters don't agree with the risk she took to get there.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
LISTEN UP. Today on the “Politically Georgia” radio show, we’re recapping former President Donald Trump’s visit to Atlanta. Later, President Joe Biden’s Georgia campaign director Jonae Wartel joins to discuss the campaign’s expansion in Georgia, the issues she sees driving the race, and what’s ahead for 2024.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
In case you missed Wednesday’s show, former state Sen. Jen Jordan, WABE reporter Rahul Bali, and Emory University professor Andra Gillespie discussed the political news of the day.
Catch up by listening to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
TOP TWO. The race for the Columbus-area seat in the Georgia House previously held by the late Richard Smith will be decided in a runoff between two Republicans, the AJC Mark Niesse reports.
A special election Tuesday narrowed the field to Sean Knox, the president of a pest control company, and Carmen Rice, the chairwoman of the Muscogee County Republican Party. The runoff is May 7.
Smith, the longtime House Rules Committee chairman, died during the legislative session earlier this year after a brief illness.
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STUDENT LOAN SUIT. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has countered President Joe Biden’s latest student loan debt relief plan the same way he did an earlier effort: with a lawsuit.
The AJC’s Ty Tygami reports Carr has signed onto a lawsuit with six other states seeking to block the president’s efforts to wipe out debts for lower-income borrowers who have fallen behind on repayments and reduce debt for others. The suit comes on the heels of Biden introducing the plan on Monday.
A challenge to a previous Biden student loan debt forgiveness program was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Despite the Court having already settled this issue, the Biden administration continues to brazenly violate the law,” Carr said in a statement Wednesday, adding that “it’s wrong to be forced to pay off other people’s student loans, particularly those with the highest earning potential.”
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Later, Biden and Marcos hold a trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.
- The House and Senate are both in session.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
GUN ORDINANCE. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson has long sought to address gun violence in his city, at one point even championing a firearms buyback program that was shuttered once it was deemed to violate state law.
Johnson’s latest effort to curb firearms misuse goes before Savannah City Council later today. An ordinance that would make it illegal to leave guns in unlocked cars within the city limits and require residents to report the theft of firearms to the Savannah Police Department is on the agenda for a first reading.
In his weekly media briefing Wednesday, Johnson said the law is meant to “deal with the instruments of violence.”
He added: “With the right to carry a firearm comes the responsibility to properly secure your firearm.”
According to Savannah Police data, 203 guns were stolen from unlocked vehicles in 2023 and a “significant percentage” of the reported 60-plus firearms thefts this year were also from unsecured cars and trucks.
The proposed ordinance has broad support from council and could become law with a vote at an April 25 meeting.
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DOG OF THE DAY. These really are the dog days for your favorite Politically Georgia feature. We are accepting nominees for the high honor of Dog of the Day. Send us your dogs of any political persuasion, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC. Horizontal photos are especially welcome.
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
