AJC: “The Republican nominee for governor told a rally attendee that Kemp is ‘going to get the National Guard’ to watch over the midterms.”
New reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein reveals that Rick Jackson told an attendee at a recent rally that Georgia is “going to get the National Guard to watch over the midterms.”
This shocking revelation comes as Trump has targeted Georgia in a wide-ranging attempt to overturn election results, with CNN reporting just last week that Jackson told a voter he has “no problem with the FBI” coming into Fulton County to sow doubt in our democratic process. Jackson has repeatedly promised to be “Trump’s favorite governor” on the campaign trail.
“Rick Jackson has repeatedly pledged to be Trump’s favorite governor, and now he’s echoing the president’s desperate playbook of threatening elections,” said Democratic Party of Georgia spokesperson Jake Strickland. “At a time when our elections are under attack, we need someone who will stand up for our right to vote – but this bombshell revelation from the AJC is a flashing red warning light that Jackson will bend the knee to Trump every step of the way.”
Jackson has long engaged in election denial, with the AJC previously reporting that Jackson has “echoed the president’s false claims of widespread election fraud” and POLITICO reporting earlier this year Jackson is “adamant” that the 2020 election was stolen.
- Republican Rick Jackson assured a nervous attendee at a recent rally that Gov. Brian Kemp will call up the Georgia National Guard to monitor the midterm elections in November.
- The assertion by the GOP nominee for governor comes amid an ongoing fight over whether the military will be deployed to polling sites across the country during the election.
- In audio obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an attendee of Jackson’s Aug. 13 rally in Columbus told him he feared Democrats would “cheat.”
- “I know, we’re going to have people watching out for us,” Jackson responded.
- The supporter then urged Jackson to seek help from President Donald Trump, who hasn’t ruled out deploying troops or federal agents to polling sites in November.
- “Trump’s got federal troops. Can you call up and get some federal troops from Trump?” he asked.
- “Well, we’ll get National Guard — Gov. Kemp is going to watch it for us,” Jackson replied.
- “Is that right?” the supporter asked.
- “Yes, he’s going to get the National Guard,” Jackson responded.
- Jackson’s comments come amid mounting concern from voting rights groups and Democrats that Trump and his GOP allies could use the military to interfere with the vote.
- Trump has repeatedly left the possibility open, saying he would “do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.” He’s also suggested that Republicans should “take over” voting procedures in parts of the country.
- Governors can deploy Guard members to support elections, such as tackling cybersecurity issues and providing logistical support. But dispatching them to polling sites would be a far more politically charged use of the troops.
- Georgia Democrats are particularly concerned because Trump has made the state a focus of his attacks.
- He’s refused to accept his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden and pressured Kemp and other Republican officials to overturn his defeat, despite multiple audits and recounts upholding the outcome.
- In January, FBI agents seized Fulton County’s 2020 ballots as part of an ongoing investigation that has so far not yielded charges of wrongdoing.
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