Donald Trump speaks at an appearance in Valdosta, Georgia, December 5, 2020 (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)


Donald Trump calls Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to demand that he overturn the state’s vote for President-elect Joe Biden in the November 3 election.

Trump commanded Kemp, a fellow Republican, to convene the State legislature so it can choose Trump’s electors rather than Biden’s for the December 14 vote of the Electoral College.

Kemp has certified Biden’s 11,928-vote margin, which was upheld both by a complete audit and a full recount of almost 5 million ballots.

Trump continued his Twitter harassment of Kemp throughout Saturday, proclaiming, “If we win Georgia, everything else falls into place” with the other key states — Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — where Biden’s triumph has been certified. The victories have been upheld as the Trump camp and its allies have lost 46 of 47 lawsuits, and legislatures have refused to choose Trump’s electors.

Kemp responded that he had called for signature audit “to restore confidence in our election process and to ensure that only legal votes are counted in Georgia”. But that only provoked Trump into restating his demand: “Your people are refusing to do what you ask. What are they hiding? At least immediately ask for a Special Session of the Legislature.”

Just before a rally in Georgia on Saturday night — ostensibly for Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, each facing closely-contested run-off elections on January 5 — Trump denounced Kemp and another Republican governor:

“Someone’s Going to Get Killed”

Trump continued his verbal assault and disinformation in the rally in Valdosta, telling about 10,000 people gathered on an airport tarmac, “Your governor could stop it very easily if he knew what the hell he was doing.”

He said in his 100-minute speech, “For whatever reason your secretary of state and your governor are afraid of Stacey Abrams,” the Democratic activist who almost defeated Kemp in the 2018 election. Her voter mobilization drives were instrumental in Biden’s triumph, the first for a Democratic Presidential candidate in Georgia since 1992.

The crowd booed both Kemp and Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. They cheered when Rep. Doug Collins, a diehard Trump loyalist, said Trump should challenge Mr. Kemp in the Governor’s primary contest in 2022.

For almost a month, Trump has furiously assailed Raffensperger and other officials. Raffensperger and his wife have received threats of death and sexual assault.

Last week Gabriel Sterling, who oversees Georgia’s elections, said of Trump’s invective, “Someone’s going to get hurt. Someone’s going to get shot. Someone’s going to get killed. And it’s not right.”

But on Monday, Trump demanded that Kemp overrule — an impossibility, since state law forbids the governor taking over the process.

“I Like Cucumbers!”

Last night Trump barely mentioned the ostensible purpose of his rally, boosting support for the two GOP Senators. Loeffler is being challenged by Rev. Raphael Warnock, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King once served. Perdue, facing allegations of insider trading and refusing to debate, is trying to hold back Jon Ossoff.

If the Democrats win both contests, the Senate will be 50-50, with new Vice President Kamala Harris as the deciding vote.

Instead, Trump rambled about the “stolen election”, culminating in the unusual declaration, “I like cucumbers!” and a boast about non-existent “hydrosonic missiles”.

When Trump finally invited the two Republicans on stage, they were eclipsed by his obsession with the Presidential outcome.

Perdue said, “We’re going to fight and win those [Senate] seats and make sure you get a fair and square deal in Georgia.”

But the crowd’s chant was elsewhere: “Fight for Trump!”

Trump repeated his false claims, “You know we won Georgia, just so you understand. They cheated and rigged our presidential election, but we’ll still win.”

His audience responded, “Stop the Steal!”