Game of chicken: Republican Senate rivals jockey over Georgia coronavirus openings

And the sides they chose match up evenly with the split among Republicans in Georgia and nationally over who should hold the Senate seat, which became open at the end of 2019 when GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson stepped down for health reasons. President Trump talked up Collins, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee and a vocal White House ally during impeachment hearings. But Kemp went his own way in making the appointment, choosing Loeffler, a wealthy business executive who had never held public office.

Wednesday night, Loeffler announced her support for Kemp’s decision. She told WTOC that Kemp’s decision to reopen the state was “very gradual and data-driven.”

“The governor has been very thoughtful in undertaking this decision,” Loeffler said. “He’s being guided by leading health officials.”

Around the same time Loeffler announced she was backing Kemp’s decision, Trump announced his opposition. During a press conference Wednesday evening, the president said, “I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities, which are in violation of the phase one guidelines. … It’s just too soon.”

“I told the governor very simply that I disagree with this decision, but he has to do what he thinks is right,” he added.

Following Trump’s response, Collins joined Fox and Friends on Thursday morning to question Kemp’s decision while positioning himself alongside the president.

“The president wants the county open. I want the country open. The governor wants the country open. The problem is, how do you do it?” Collins asked. “And I think that’s the problem with leadership.”

Collins accused Kemp of “not communicating clearly” by leaving the stay-at-home order in place while allowing some businesses to reopen. He said that many areas of the state were concerned about the spread of the virus, adding that “locals needed to have more input, and it’s made people nervous.”

In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Loeffler said she supports the positions held by both Trump and Kemp, saying, “My focus is on protecting lives and livelihoods — I’m not going to play politics. Of course I support President Trump and I’m proud to serve on his Task Force to re-open America. And obviously, I support Governor Kemp and his efforts to begin to get Georgians back to work safely. We have to continue following the guidelines to stay safe.”

“Both President Trump and Governor Kemp are showing strong leadership during these unprecedented times — and I’m honored to be working with them to reopen our economy based on a measured, data-driven approach,” she added.

Both Loeffler and Collins appeared to seek guidance before responding to Kemp’s decision. While prominent Georgia Democrats such as Stacey Abrams hopped from show to show condemning Kemp’s decision on Monday night, neither Loeffler nor Collins addressed the issue until Wednesday evening. And both were radio silent on the issue on social media until Collins tweeted his Fox and Friends clip on Thursday morning.

That continued a line of attack employed by Collins since being snubbed for the Senate seat. Many conservative groups were outraged that Kemp overlooked Collins for the vacancy. Groups such as Concerned Women for America highlighted Loeffler’s ties to pro-abortion rights groups, including her position on the board of a hospital that performs abortions, and her ties to the WNBA, which has publicly supported abortion access.

By late January, Collins announced that he would run against Loeffler in the 2020 primary. Many Republicans questioned Collins’s “selfishness” and claimed that an expensive primary race could hurt other Republicans in the state, including Trump.

Trump, who was close with Kemp during the governor’s 2018 run, has struggled with his response to the primary race between Loeffler and Collins. In February, he hinted at a strategy to unify the two Republicans.

“Something’s going to happen that’s going to be very good. I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet,” Trump said. The president’s remark made some wonder whether Collins or Loeffler would be chosen for a Cabinet position or a judicial appointment.

Loeffler’s image has since taken a considerable hit after she was accused of selling off stocks in response to a closed-door coronavirus briefing in late January. The senator offloaded millions in stocks and made purchases in a firm that produces teleworking equipment. The sales were made before many of the coronavirus effects were felt in the U.S.

Several other senators were also ensnared in the scandal, including North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican. Loeffler defended her actions by noting that her stocks were in a blind trust and claiming that she had no say in the sales. She has since divested from individual stocks to protect her from future accusations, but the scandal has followed her throughout the pandemic.

The scandal didn’t appear to sway the president’s opinion of Loeffler or the other senators involved. He defended the accused senators, calling them “very honorable people.” Trump has, however, appeared to distance himself from Kemp (and, in turn, Loeffler) since the governor decided to reopen the state.

“Do I agree with him? No, but I respect him. And I will let him make his decision. Would I do that? No, I would keep them a little longer,” Trump said Wednesday night. “I want to protect people’s lives, but I will let him make his decision.”

The Georgia primary is set to take place on June 9.