Donald Trump's swift backtrack from blatant attacks on Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp spurred hilarity among political pundits who called it an act of desperation Friday.
Trump's social media blasts praising Kemp — whom he slammed as a "disloyal" Republican and poor governor during an Atlanta rally earlier this month — suggested the former president held deeper concerns about his ability to claim the swing state he lost in 2020, analysts said.
"Nothing tells you Trump is in full panic more than seeing him crawl back to nemesis Brian Kemp begging for help in Georgia," Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall wrote on X. "Haven't seen anything this revealing from him in weeks. Quite literally."
Marshall also quipped Trump was running back to Kemp "like a dog."
The feud between Kemp and Trump began on Aug. 3 when Trump blamed the Georgia governor for his 2020 loss during a 10-minute tirade, the Associated Press reports.
Trump famously called Georgia lawmakers such as Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to request help overturning President Joe Biden's victory and "find 11,780 votes." Neither complied.
During his rally, Trump also said he blamed Kemp for not quashing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' prosecution on election racketeering charges linked to that demand, the report notes.
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Kemp appears to have been appeased by a sit-down with Trump's running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) on Thursday. The Georgia governor made a subsequent statement on Fox News asserting his belief that Trump should be sent "back to the White House."
The same night, Trump took to Twitter and Truth Social to praise Kemp.
"Thank you to @BrianKempGA for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country," Trump wrote. "I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
This sudden shift in tone shocked political pundits who remembered the vitriol Trump hurled at Kemp just weeks earlier.
"Weeks after attacking him as 'Little Brian,' 'a bad guy,' 'disloyal' and an 'average governor,'" reported CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, "Trump is now praising Gov. Brian Kemp."
Seth Mandel, senior editor of Commentary Magazine, suggested campaign data were behind the shift, writing, " going hat-in-hand to Brian on every social media app."
Political scholar Andrew Lebovich was not convinced of Trump's sincerity, suggesting his campaign staff wrote Trump's measured Truth Social post and adding, " within the week."
Political strategist Rachel Bitecofer put it more bluntly.
"Trump is trying to kiss Brian Kemp’s a-- because he knows he’s gonna need him to find him 11,780 votes again," she wrote.
