Donald Trump will be the star attraction in Columbus this weekend. The former president and current GOP presidential contender is scheduled to speak at the state’s Republican convention on Saturday. It will be Trump’s first major campaign event since being indicted on federal charges of mishandling classified documents.
Two other GOP candidates – former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy – are scheduled to attend the convention.
Former Vice President Mike Pence had been scheduled to attend the convention but canceled. According to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Georgia GOP chairman David Shafer told delegates in an email Pence canceled “because of a televised national town hall at which he will be making an announcement regarding his future plans.”
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Former Arizona newscaster and failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will be the convention’s keynote speaker at the June 9 dinner. Lake has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate.
Other speakers listed are Georgia politicians:
- Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
- Rep. Rick Allen
- Rep. Mike Collins
- Rep. Andrew Clyde
- Rep. Barry Loudermilk
- Rep. Rich McCormick
- Lt. Gov. Burt Jones
- Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper
- Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson
- Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald
No shows and ban
Two high-profile Georgia Republicans who will not be attending this weekend’s state convention are Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Both have distanced themselves from the Trump wing of the Republican Party, which claims without evidence that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
That same party faction is pushing a proposal to punish those it considers to be ideological traitors by banning them from future primary election ballots.
The proposal to ban candidates could be used to penalize elected Republican leaders, including Kemp or Raffensperger, who crossed Trump by refusing the then-president’s demands to overturn his election loss in 2020.
Such a ban could be used against candidates who show insufficient purity on abortion or taxes.
According to the Associated Press, former Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston said it’s “bull” for any Republicans to presume to set boundaries for the party.
