Trump Headed to Georgia to Boost Campaigns of Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue

President Donald Trump gestures while addressing a campaign rally at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Avoca, Pa, on Nov. 2, 2020. Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo

President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Georgia to rally on behalf of two Republican senators competing in a Senate runoff race that is key to GOP control of the upper chamber.

The Senate runoff races in early January pit Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) against Democrat Raphael Warnock, and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) against Democrat Jon Ossoff.

“Will be going to Georgia for a big Trump Rally in support of our two great Republican Senators, David and Kelly. They are fantastic people who love their Country and love their State. We must work hard and be sure they win,” Trump said in a tweet. The president is scheduled to travel to Georgia on Saturday.

The Georgia Jan. 5 runoff has come into the spotlight, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. Republicans currently hold a 50-seat majority in the upper chamber. But if Democrats win both runoffs, that would yield a 50–50 split, giving them an effective majority if Democrat Joe Biden and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) prevail in the contested election, as the vice president is eligible to cast a tie-breaking vote.

Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) in file photographs. Getty Images

The importance of the runoff has been highlighted by Republican strategists, with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) telling Breitbart News in a Monday interview that the outcome is key to resisting what he called a radical leftist agenda that threatens America’s future.

“The future of the United States depends on the outcome of the Georgia Senate races,” Gingrich said. “If you don’t want a radical left-wing America dominated by left-wing judges with massive tax increases, with a policy, frankly, of appeasing China, and you don’t want that kind of future, you have to go out and vote.”

Gingrich’s remarks came after he was asked to comment on the phenomenon of some Republican voters feeling discouraged about election integrity in the face of mounting evidence in support of claims of voter fraud and other irregularities.

He responded by saying that the answer is not to reject the voting process, but to ramp up engagement and monitoring efforts.

“Frankly, you have to volunteer as a poll watcher and make sure they don’t steal the election,” he said.

“I don’t think we should in any way underestimate how really important the Georgia Senate race” is, Gingrich continued, adding, “these two Senate seats are the margin between containing Biden and empowering Biden.”

Brian Robinson, a former adviser to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s Republican predecessor, said he hopes Trump will “drive a strong, forward-looking message” about what’s at stake if Republicans fail to hold their Senate majority.

“The best thing he can do for the party,” Robinson said, “is to talk about the importance of having a Republican Senate majority to project his policy legacy and to make sure the Democrats can’t reverse a lot of what he has put in place that Republicans support.”