Trump says he'll be 'looking' at whether to back Brian Kemp in Georgia
Former President Donald Trump doesn't rule out backing political foe Brian Kemp in the Georgia gubernatorial race when asked by Fox News Digital.
Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp suggested he would accept former President Trump's endorsement after Trump signaled he's considering backing his GOP foe going into the midterms.
Appearing on "The Guy Benson Show," Kemp was asked whether he would welcome the former president's support.
"Look, I want everybody's endorsement going into this November 8th election," Kemp said Monday. "That's what I said after primary. It's time for all Republicans to unite and really all Georgians to unite against Stacey Abrams who scares a lot of people."
Kemp continued, "She's been funded by the likes of George Soros and California donors and New York donors trying to have their way with our state- that's what I'm seeing around the state is all Republicans are uniting but even people in the middle are worried about how extreme Stacey Abrams is and where she would take our state and I want to keep Georgia moving in the direction that has been with good opportunity no matter what your zip code or your neighborhood and that's what we're working hard to do."
TRUMP DOESN'T RULE OUT BACKING BRIAN KEMP IN GEORGIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE
Then-Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp walks with President Donald Trump for a rally in Macon, Georgia, Nov. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
Ahead of his CPAC speech in Dallas, Fox News Digital asked Trump if he will support Kemp in his re-election bid against his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams.
"Well, we'll be looking at everything," Trump told Fox News Digital on Saturday.
Trump railed against Kemp for certifying President Biden's victory in the Peach State following the 2020 presidential election as he repeatedly alleged voter fraud led to his defeat.
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Kemp previously defeated Trump-backed David Perdue, earning a whopping 73.7% of the vote in a heated GOP primary in May.
The incumbent will be competing in a highly anticipated rematch against Stacey Abrams, who famously never formally conceded her 2018 defeat.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp (Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg, Nathan Posner | Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Several of Trump's endorsed candidates prevailed in competitive GOP gubernatorial primaries across the country including Kari Lake in Arizona, Tudor Dixon in Michigan and Dan Cox in Maryland.
Trump's influence over the Republican Party remains strong. The CPAC straw poll showed Trump having 69% support among attendees in a hypothetical GOP primary in 2024.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seeking re-election in November, placed second with 24%. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz earned 2% support among CPAC goers. All other potential candidates earned 1% or less.
Former President Donald Trump tells Fox News Digital he's considering backing political foe Brian Kemp in the Georgia gubernatorial race while speaking at a press gaggle ahead of his CPAC speech in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 6, 2022. (Fox News Digital)
In a hypothetical primary without the former president, DeSantis topped the straw poll with 65%. Placing second is Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., with 8% backing, followed by Cruz with 6% and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with 5%. No one else topped 2% on the second ballot question.
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The former president’s strong performance on the unscientific survey comes as no surprise. CPAC, long the largest and most influential gathering of conservative leaders and activists, has become a Trumpfest since his 2016 presidential election victory.
Trump has repeatedly hinted at another bid for the White House in 2024, which now faces uncertainty after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago home Monday, increasing the likelihood that President Biden's DOJ intends to prosecute him.
Fox News' Nikolas Lamum, Brian Flood, Haris Alic and Paul Steinhauser contributed to his report.
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