Trump ramps up attacks on Georgia's 'absolutely terrible' GOP governor ahead of tough re-election fight

Former President Donald Trump is continuing his war with Republicans in Georgia who didn't go along with his plans to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In a statement released on Friday, Trump targeted top Georgia Republicans who refused his demands to "find" 12,000 more votes for him that would have helped him overtake President Joe Biden.

"The Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, together with Brad Raffensperger, allowed this Election in Georgia to be Rigged and Stolen," Trump falsely claimed in a statement emailed to reporters. "Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger have done an absolutely terrible job of watching over Voter Integrity in Georgia. They must be held accountable!"

Trump's false claims of fraud and attacks on Republicans could hurt Kemp as he runs for re-election in 2022. Kemp is facing a primary challenge from Trump supporter Vernon Jones and is expected to be challenged in the general election by voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, who previously served as the Democratic Party leader in the Georgia House of Representatives.

"Our job, as Republicans, is to walk into every GOP meeting whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable and convince them there's no fraud," Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said on Thursday. "Some days, it's like convincing people hundreds of years ago that the Earth isn't flat. That's really what the conversation feels like."

Some Georgia Republicans blame Trump's false allegations of voter fraud with depressing GOP turnout in the January Senate runoff elections that were won by Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.