ROME — Look no further than the table greeting arrivals at one of the state’s biggest GOP gatherings for evidence of the former president’s enduring grip on the party. T-shirts and signs proclaiming “Trump Won” were there for the taking.
Throughout the Floyd County GOP event, held under an airy pavilion at the fairgrounds, Trump’s presence was a constant. Candidates promised to “drain the swamp” and promote his false claims of widespread election fraud. Others promised to make him proud in state or federal office.
While most of the top candidates trekked to Rome, the event was also notable for the no-shows. Football great Herschel Walker, seen as a likely contender for U.S. Senate, skipped the event. So did Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, who are both seeking reelection.
The warmest welcome went to U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who hinted at internal GOP warfare in next year’s Republican primary. The first-term Republican — whose northwest Georgia congressional district includes Rome — has become a pariah to some for her racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic views, though her supporters celebrate her Trump-like say-anything approach.
Over her speech, she repeatedly called Democrats “communists” and warned the cheering crowd against efforts by the government and private companies to require vaccinations to stem a new surge in the coronavirus pandemic.
“Republican voters and donors are sick and tired of Republicans that are selling them out,” she said, to a burst of applause. “And it’s our responsibility to do the job that you hire us to do.”
Gov. Brian Kemp faced a different sort of response. The governor has faced pushback from some Trump supporters for refusing to illegally overturn his presidential election defeat, which he said he lacks the legal authority to do.
Credit: Greg Bluestein
Credit: Greg Bluestein
He was met with loud applause — and a smattering of boos — as he took the stage to highlight his support for new elections laws, refusal to enact mask mandates and his aggressive measures to reopen the state’s economy amid the pandemic. Throughout his remarks, he struggled to be heard over the din.
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Fre
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Fre
“I stood up and reopened this economy when no one else would,” Kemp said.
After he spoke, a long line of well-wishers and a handful of critics waited as the governor worked the crowd.
One woman critical of the coronavirus vaccine, which studies show is effective at preventing the spread of the disease, urged him to block the private sector from requiring the jabs.
“I’m not going to tell private companies what to do,” he said.
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Fre
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Fre
The event is one of the mainstays on the GOP calendar because of that sort of interaction. Candidates for U.S. Senate mingled with grassroots voters, and volunteers staffing local and federal campaigns handed out bumper stickers and signs to anyone who wandered by.
A few dozen speakers strode a stage draped by an enormous American flag, and hundreds sat in white folding chairs or milled about the pavilion as each Republican official took the mic.
A group of pro-Trump motorcyclists rumbled outside, where local health officials set up a tent offering coronavirus vaccines. Dr. John Cowan, a Rome neurosurgeon who lost to Greene in his bid for Congress last year, worked the crowd in his scrubs, encouraging people to get their jabs.
It was also an occasion for politicians to break news. State Sen. Jason Anavitarte told the crowd his top priority in office next year was a push for “constitutional carry” — a measure that would allow anyone who is legally allowed to own a gun carry it without paying for a state-issued license.
And state Sen. Burt Jones outlined his platform for lieutenant governor hours after he filed paperwork to run for the job. The Jackson Republican said he would slash the state’s income tax, increase funding for law enforcement and work to ban school mask mandates.
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Free Press
But his central message revolved around his support for Trump, including a boast that he was one of the few state legislators who called for a special legislative session to investigate Joe Biden’s victory. Jones also used one of Trump’s favorite catchphrases in unveiling his candidacy.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, scanning the crowd, “I think we have a real swamp here in Georgia.”
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