'Acting like a fool again': Ex-GOP lawmaker warns Trump he's on track to be 'smoked'

Any attempts by Donald Trump to claim the upcoming presidential election is rigged will be undermined by the fact that he's making the same bad decisions he made in 2020, a former Republican lawmaker from a key swing state argued Monday.

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R-GA), who has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, discussed on CNN Sen. J.D. Vance's weekend media blitz, during which the Ohio Republican tried to walk back repeated claims that childless Americans are sociopaths.

"He makes statements that just are foolish and don't make sense," said Duncan. "Trump wanted what he wanted, he wanted a sock puppet that just followed in his shadow, and that is what he got."

Duncan raised concerns about a new rule on Georgia's election books — which experts describe as a "5-alarm fire for democracy" — that allows voting officials to challenge results and stall certification.

But he argued any efforts to challenge valid voting results in his state will crumble under the weight of the Trump campaign "circus."

"My hope is that Donald Trump is beaten by a big enough margin that folks are not willing to take the bait again," Duncan said.

Duncan argued Trump was hit by a "perfect storm" after President Joe Biden's debate performance in the spring spurred concerns he was unfit to campaign for reelection.

Biden initially claimed he'd stay in the race and a confident Trump chose as running mate a MAGA firebrand better suited to doubling down on his base than reaching out to new groups, legal experts contend.

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Biden dropped out days later and endorsed Harris, an energetic former prosecutor now positioned against a convicted felon — and caught Trump unprepared, Duncan argued.

Insiders have said Trump relied on an ethnic stereotype when making his decision — he believed Biden wouldn't heed calls to drop out because he is Irish and therefore would be too stubborn.

While Harris and running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) travel the nation and draw tens of thousands to political rallies, Trump has given a much-criticized press conference from his Florida social club and Vance embarked on a media tour to walk back past extreme claims.

"You've got Donald Trump, who's running out of energy, making bad decisions and acting like a fool again," said Duncan. "The Donald Trump that got smoked in 2020 is back again in full force."

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