A Trump campaign could harm Herschel Walker's chances
On November 20, it was reported that various senior Republicans in Georgia have pleaded with Donald Trump's team, asking that he doesn't campaign in the state until after runoff elections have been held later this year.
While Trump is largely responsible for Herschel Walker running as the Republican challenger to Democrat Raphael Warnock, it's felt by members of the GOP within Georgia that Trump would be more focused on his own political campaign.
The only Georgia Republican who would likely be in favor of Trump visiting Georgia imminently, would likely be Marjorie Taylor-Greene - one of Trump's most avid fans and a strong bet for filling the post of his running-mate.
Trump falling out of favor
The concerns have come to light following an announcement on November 15 that he would be running for a second term in the White House. The events since his announcement from Mar-A-Lago in Florida suggest that the former one-term president may be falling out of favor within the Republican party, conservative media and even amongst GOP mega-donors.
Commenting on the matter, a senior adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign - Mike Biundo - put it bluntly:
“Walker’s campaign needs to be the priority and focus for our party.”
The DeSantis factor
The other thing that's clearly on Trump's mind is that since the midterm elections, Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis is clearly gaining popularity within the Republican party across the nation. Immediately after the elections, DeSantis showed a 7% lead over Trump in a YouGov poll that predicted the preferred presidential candidate.
Trump has alienated DeSantis fans already, referring to him as 'Ron DeSanctimonious' and taking credit for his career. DeSantis has responded, pointing to the strength of his recent victory as the only meaningful measure of his popularity.
The biggest factor right now is that DeSantis is also planning on campaigning in Georgia before the end of 2022, and if he were to appear in the Peach State then Trump will almost certainly ignore the wishes of Georgia's Republicans and campaign in Georgia too - regardless of the effects it might have on Herschel Walker's chances of victory.
Whether Trump will abide by the wishes of Georgia's GOP members, or simply do what he wants without any concern for the wider consequences remains to be seen.
Do you think that Donald Trump should consider the wishes of the Republican party in Georgia and allow the runoff election to complete before he campaigns in the state? Is DeSantis gaining in popularity within Georgia as a possible presidential candidate? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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