Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan on Monday urged other “disgruntled” Republicans who opposed President-elect Donald Trump to give the incoming administration “a chance” in the wake Trump’s electoral landslide and popular vote mandate.
Duncan, who is facing expulsion from the Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) over his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election, made his remarks during a Monday interview with WABE.
“Even folks like me, disgruntled Republicans, need to give Donald Trump a chance to show us who he’s going to be in his second term,” Duncan told the National Public Radio station. He added, “Is he going to follow through with his campaign promises and try to change the direction of America? I disagree with some of those policies, but maybe he knows something I don’t.”
The former lieutenant governor made similar remarks about the incoming Trump administration and its mandate in an op-ed published Monday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“By becoming the first Republican presidential candidate in two decades to apparently carry the popular vote, Trump didn’t just win — he earned a mandate,” Duncan wrote.
After acknowledging the president-elect knows “how to campaign and win,” Duncan wrote that Trump now “must govern” the nation for a second time.
“His first tour of duty in the White House was tumultuous and void of wisdom-filled decisions most days,” claimed Duncan. “I am hopeful for a different direction in Round 2 but will remain skeptical until proved otherwise.”
The former Harris surrogate wrote, “On Jan. 7, 2021, only a handful of people could have predicted the outcome of last week’s election. Like it or not, America has spoken, and Donald Trump has earned the right to be called Mr. President again.”
Duncan’s past support for Harris and surrogacy for her campaign were highlighted by GAGOP chair Josh McKoon in August when he revealed a party effort to permanently expel the former lieutenant governor from ever running as a Republican in a Georgia primary contest or attending a party event.
“On the surface, your animus against President Trump makes little sense. When you ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2018, you mimicked him like a chimpanzee, even going so far as to falsely claim his endorsement. You begged in 2020 for opportunities to speak on his behalf at Trump rallies and the Republican National Convention,” wrote McKoon. “But it has become clear that prostituting yourself to CNN as a Trump critic is now how you support yourself and your family. You will no longer do so claiming to be a Republican.
Georgia was one of the first states to call for Trump on Election Day, and officials have since determined that the president-elect received 2.6 million votes.
Nearly 5.3 million Georgians participated in the 2024 elections, breaking the previous record set in 2020.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Geoff Duncan” by Carlos J. Rodriguez. Background Photo “Donald Trump Rally” by Dan Scavino Jr.
