Just days before former President Donald Trump is slated to hold a rally in Georgia, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) launched a statewide ad bashing Trump and the direction of the GOP.
“Inflation at a 40-year high, open borders, national security threats – but some politicians would rather talk about conspiracy theories and past losses, letting liberal extremists take us in the wrong direction, a mistake our country simply can’t afford,” the ad begins.
The ad uses photos of former Sen. David Perdue (R) – a current candidate for governor – and Trump when mentioning those “conspiracy theories,” a clear reference to Trump’s ongoing protest over the legitimacy of the 2020 elections.
“We must focus on the future and rebuild our party,” the ad continues. “But I’m not alone in believing there’s a better way forward. A conservative vision is needed now more than ever. It’s time for GOP 2.0.”
GOP 2.0 is described on its website as Duncan’s PET project. PET is an acronym, standing for Policy, Empathy and Tone.
Duncan was notoriously outspoken when Trump challenged the results of the 2020 election, which the 45th president lost by a small margin. The loss included losing the state of Georgia, typically a Republican stronghold. Trump argues that massive voter fraud caused the loss.
GOP 2.0 does not offer contact information for a spokesperson, and Duncan’s office did not return a comment request.
Trump will hold a rally Saturday in the Peach State, during which allied politicians and elected officials, including U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) and Perdue will join the former president in speaking.
Trump has endorsed Perdue for governor over incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who he says did not do enough to stop election fraud in 2020.
“Kemp allowed himself to be bullied into a disastrous consent decree that effectively abolished signature verification and allowed massive voter fraud to occur throughout the state of Georgia,” Trump said at the time.
“As a United States Senator, David stood up to the Radical Left—and he was always a champion for strong, secure borders,” he continued. “As governor, David will restore integrity to our elections, he will eliminate the Georgia Income Tax, and he will put PARENTS back in charge of Georgia schools.”
Perdue lost his 2021 Senate re-election bid in a special election.
Watch the full ad:
_ _ _
Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Geoff Duncan” by Geoff Duncan.Â
