Trump intervenes as GOP governor primary feud threatens Georgia race
Donald Trump is urging Georgia GOP rivals Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to reconcile after a bitter primary, while both remain reluctant to endorse each other.
President Donald Trump has stepped in to mediate between Georgia Republican candidates Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones after a contentious primary that saw Jackson prevail despite Trump’s prior endorsement of Jones. Trump phoned Jones, urging a meeting with Jackson, but Jones told him the $150 million campaign that vilified his family complicates any truce. Jones has withheld an endorsement and remains noncommittal about voting for Jackson in the November election.
Meanwhile, the White House is still urging both sides to cool the dispute as they face a strong Democratic challenger, Keisha Lance Bottoms, amid heightened Democratic enthusiasm. Additional friction stems from a $20 million ad campaign targeting Jones and a pending defamation lawsuit that Jackson’s lawyers are defending vigorously. Jones’s family firm, Jones Petroleum, has also filed a separate $100 million suit against Jackson over alleged illegal gambling profits.
Why it matters
The feud could split the GOP vote, influencing Georgia's pivotal governor race and national political balance.
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