Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was glaringly absent at a pre-election rally for Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue the night before Tuesday's Senate runoffs.
President Donald Trump was at the rally in Dalton, Ga., on Monday night as was Loeffler. Perdue was absent, quarantining due to COVID-19 protocol.
Kemp also was not at the rally after being the target of criticism from Trump regarding the governor's actions and inaction surrounding the November election, per the Washington Examiner. Georgia was one of several battleground states Trump and allies have alleged committed voter fraud.
Trump spent time at the rally discussing the presidential election and Gov. Kemp.
"I'll be here in about a year-and-a-half campaigning against you, governor," Trump told the crowd. "I guarantee that."
Kemp, who will be up for reelection in 2022, hasn’t been seen at nearly all post-general election GOP events.
In tweets regarding Kemp, Trump has called the governor "hapless," a "joke," "a clown," and "clueless." He also has tweeted the governor should resign from office.
Kemp, a longtime Trump supporter, said he does not regret upsetting the president.
"I've supported the president. I worked as hard as anybody in this state for his reelection," Kemp said. "But at the end of the day, I have to follow the law and the Constitution."
Trump also has been critical of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who spoke to the president for an hour during the weekend. The phone call, in which the president pressed Raffensperger to find "find 11,780 votes" to overturn the election, was leaked to the Washington Post.
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