Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp meets with Donald Trump ahead of former president's inauguration

Greg Bluestein, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jan 9, 2025

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Gov. Brian Kemp joined other Republican governors in a meeting Thursday with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss energy, immigration and other federal policies, the latest sign of the strengthening rapport between the two former rivals.

The meeting took place late Thursday at Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago estate after Kemp, recently elected chair of the Republican Governors Association, attended former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington. Officials say Kemp will be back in Georgia later Thursday to prepare for wintry weather.

Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas said the governor and other state GOP leaders discussed with Trump how “states can partner with his administration’s efforts to unleash American energy, secure the U.S. southern border, foster economic growth and deliver opportunity for the American people.”

It was only the second face-to-face meeting in the last four years between the two Republicans, whose up-and-down relationship has shaped Georgia politics for much of the last decade. Their first in-person meeting took place in October to discuss Hurricane Helene relief.

Trump’s endorsement helped Kemp win the state’s top job in 2018. But Trump never forgave Kemp for refusing his demand to reverse his 2020 defeat in Georgia, and he recruited loyalists to challenge the governor and several of his allies.

After Kemp triumphed, the feud mostly simmered until August. That’s when Trump used an Atlanta rally to repeatedly criticize the governor — prompting senior Republicans to scramble to forge a truce between the two.

Since then, Trump has praised Kemp for “a really good job” leading Georgia. And Kemp directed his political machine to make a statewide push for Trump, who won Georgia by more than 120,000 votes.

It’s likely the start of more regular meetings between the two Republicans, with Kemp playing an increasingly prominent role in national GOP politics at the RGA. He’s also facing an already intense lobbying campaign urging him to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.