GOP candidates unite in Georgia, away from Trump’s influence.

Former President Donald Trump’s Presence Looms Over ⁤GOP Rivals at “The Gathering” Event

Former President Donald Trump⁤ may not be attending Erick Erickson’s ​annual⁢ “The⁣ Gathering” ​event in Atlanta this weekend,⁤ but his presence and legal problems were still a persistent ghost hovering over his presidential primary rivals.

Even before Erickson started interviewing GOP ⁤presidential hopefuls on Friday, he made⁢ it clear that Trump’s‌ multiple indictments ‍wouldn’t be a question he’d ask⁤ of the candidates. And after ​his ‍talk with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) about topics that didn’t include the⁣ former‍ president,‍ Erickson had‍ a tongue-in-cheek remark.

“Isn’t it amazing what you can learn when you ask the ​candidates ​about ⁢their policies instead of asking about other people?”‌ Erickson ‌quipped.

The Peach State and its GOP leaders ⁢have been ⁣a persistent thorn in Trump’s ​side after he lost ⁢the 2020 elections to President Joe ⁢Biden. Trump’s Georgia woes ‍culminated this week when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted him ⁤and 18 others for allegedly interfering in the ‌state’s 2020 election results late ⁣Monday night.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Looks to the Future

Kemp told Erickson that despite the scheduled trial date, he doesn’t believe Trump’s trial will happen before the election. Kemp emphasized the ​importance of focusing on ⁤the future to defeat President Joe Biden.

“It should be such an easy‍ path for us to win the White House back, but if we⁢ are looking in the rearview mirror, and this is⁣ what my message has ‌been to every candidate⁤ in the race, including ‍former President Trump, is we have to be focused on‍ the future,” Kemp added. “Not ⁤something that happened three years ago. We don’t need to be ‍focusing on stupid things that aren’t going to happen before this election. We can‌ deal ⁣with that later after we win.”

Kemp also cautioned the Republican Party that​ Georgia is ‌a critical battleground in the 2024 race.

“The road to the White House is running through Georgia, y’all. If we don’t win this state, we are not⁤ winning the White‌ House,” Kemp⁢ said.

Nikki Haley Calls for Moving Beyond ​Trump’s Leadership

Former‍ U.N. Ambassador Nikki ⁢Haley echoed Kemp’s sentiment, calling for the GOP to move beyond​ Trump’s leadership in order to win next year’s presidential⁢ election.

“I think that President Trump was the right president at the right time. I agree with so many of his policies, but at the end of ⁣the day, we have to win in‍ November, and it is time to put ‍that negativity and drama behind us,” Haley said. “We can’t keep ⁣talking about‍ the past. We ⁣have got to talk about how we are going to take‌ America⁣ to a new future that is full of peace and law and order and opportunities for our⁣ children. And in ‍order to do that, we have to have ​a new conservative leader. ‍We have to have a new ‍person that’s going to go forward and start giving us solutions.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence Looks Forward to Debating Trump

Former Vice President ‌Mike Pence expressed his pride⁣ in the⁢ Trump-Pence administration but also stated that he looks forward to debating Trump ‍on the stage.

“I always stood loyally by President Donald Trump until my oath to the Constitution required me to do otherwise,” Pence said. “But my⁣ differences ‍with the president go far beyond that fateful day. And I hope to have a chance to debate them with him. Sometimes people ask me how do you envision debating Donald Trump? I ⁣say, I’ve debated Donald Trump a thousand times, just not ‌when the cameras are on.”

Trump has⁢ indicated that he will ‍not attend ‍the‌ Republican National Committee’s first primary debate ⁢cosponsored with Fox News. Instead, he will sit down with Tucker‌ Carlson⁤ for an online⁤ interview, ‍potentially depriving his rivals of media attention from the debate.

Meanwhile, other 2024 rivals, including​ former New Jersey Gov.⁣ Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will speak with Erickson, where he will likely ask them why‌ they, and not Trump, should become the next​ president of the United States.

As‌ for ‌Trump, he is ‌required to surrender to the Fulton County jail​ at Rice Street ​by Aug. 25 at noon,‍ where his fingerprints and mugshot will be taken. However, if ⁤his past indictments are any indication, Trump will ​likely‌ see a boon in his fundraising and poll numbers,‌ further cementing his hold over the ⁤Republican‍ base.

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