Trump pushes Georgia governor he helped elect to appoint a key anti-impeachment ally to Senate

On Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitutionreported that President Donald Trump is pushing Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) to name Georgia Congressman Doug Collins to the seat vacated by the departing Sen. Johnny Isakson.

Collins, one of a great many Republicans who is interested in appointment to Isakson's seat, is a staunch ally of Trump in the House, and has attacked any and all efforts to investigate the president, including the impeachment proceedings into his interference with Ukraine military aid.

Kemp famously became governor while controversially serving as secretary of state in his own election, which was marred by a number of problems with voter registrations and access in African-American areas. But he also owes his election in large part to President Donald Trump, who endorsed him in the primary over then-Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

Now, it seems that Trump would like Kemp to do him a favor in return.

Kemp's Senate appointment is not guaranteed to be long-term, as Georgia voters will hold a special election for that seat in 2020 concurrently with the regularly scheduled election for Sen. David Perdue.