Report: Trump 'Stunned' by Georgia Primary Result

Insiders say he wasn't expecting big Raffensperger win
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 30, 2022 11:30 AM CDT
Report: Trump Was 'Stunned' by Raffensperger Win
Incumbent Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger grabs a glass of champagne to toast with his wife Tricia after declaring victory just before midnight at an election night party Tuesday evening, May 24, 2022 in Peachtree Corners, Ga.   (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

Candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump were roundly defeated in last week's Republican primaries in Georgia—and insiders say Trump was most shocked by the victory of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing sources close to Trump, reports that the former president was "disappointed" when Gov. Brian Kemp easily defeated rival David Purdue, but was "stunned" when Raffensperger beat Trump-endorsed US Rep. Jody Hice, taking 52% of the vote. The incumbent, who rejected Trump's request to "find" enough votes to reverse his 2020 election loss, was one of the former president's main targets.

Raffensperger, Georgia's top elections official, carried most counties in the state and took enough of the vote to avoid a runoff, allowing him to start his fall campaign immediately, Yahoo News reports. Both Kemp and Raffensperger have faced unrelenting attacks from Trump, with the former president continuing to insist that his loss was the result of widespread fraud. Trump hasn't spoken publicly about the Georgia results.

CBS reports that Raffensperger has been subpoeaned and is expected to appear before a special grand jury this week as part of an investigation of whether Trump illegally tried to meddle in the state's 2020 election. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has confirmed that her investigation is looking at the Jan. 2021 call in which Trump told Raffensperger he wanted him to "find 11,780 votes." (More Brad Raffensperger stories.)

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