Republicans are playing political defense in the once reliably-red state of Georgia.

President Donald Trump is holding a Friday night campaign rally despite the coronavirus pandemic and had Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) warm up the crowd.

Perdue has served alongside Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) in the U.S. Senate for 1,382 days, but pretended to not know how to pronounce her name during his speech.

“Bernie and Elizabeth and Kah-mah-la or Kah-ma-la or Kamamboamamla or however you say it,” is the rough transcript CNN’s Ryan Nobles provided on Twitter.

Perdue then warned the crowd of a potential liberal take over of government with "Bernie and Elizabeth and Kah-mah-la or Kah-ma-la or Kamamboamamla or however you say it." (Perdue has served with Kamala Harris in the Senate for 3 years)

— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) October 16, 2020

Perdue is being challenged by Democrat Jon Ossoff, whose campaign posted video of the speech to Twitter:

David Perdue is just gross.

He mispronounced @KamalaHarris' name just now warming up the stage for @realDonaldTrump to score race-baiting, cheap political cheers. pic.twitter.com/kiLmn8682A

— Miryam Lipper (@MiryamLipper) October 16, 2020

Purdue was blasted for his remarks:

Sen. Perdue is the same POS who enlarged his opponent Jon Ossoff's nose in an anti-Semitic campaign ad. Georgia deserves better. https://t.co/yhjz4LnZmq

— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) October 16, 2020

My opponent, GOP Sen. David Perdue of anti-Semitic attack ad infamy, just mocked Sen. Harris' name as "Kamala-mala-mala-whatever" at a Trump rally.

We are so much better than this. pic.twitter.com/9AvoQK4RdN

— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 16, 2020

Kamala's not that hard to pronounce. It's just as easy as Perdue, which is pronounced "racist." https://t.co/UcCMJ19JdC

— Hari Sevugan (@HariSevugan) October 16, 2020

Your macaca moment for 2020. This is not going to work out well for Perdue… https://t.co/7xgOeDJCVs

— Liz Mair (@LizMair) October 16, 2020

This is a vile, racist act by Senator David Perdue. We must elect @ossoff in #gasen pic.twitter.com/WhoQTO286q

— Justin Barasky (@JustinBarasky) October 16, 2020

Sen. David Perdue, Super Racist https://t.co/pi9YxqvLoR

— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) October 16, 2020

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