Donald Trump Praises Stacey Abrams, Says She Has A ‘Terrific Political Future’
President Trump struck a balanced tone in the statement he issued to acknowledge the results of Georgia’s contentious gubernatorial election, The Hill reported on Friday, November 16. Whereas past remarks he made on the race aimed to smear Stacey Abrams in the interest of presenting Brian Kemp as the more favorable of the two candidates, the President made it a point to praise the challenging Democrat for a hard-fought race, while congratulating his Republican Party-mate on the victory. He even went so far as to predict that Abrams has got some bright days ahead of her.
“Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard – she will have a terrific political future!” Trump tweeted after Abrams admitted defeat, in an address that she delivered to inform supporters that the law provided no foreseeable path to override her opponent’s lead. By Saturday morning, Kemp had taken up a similar approach to Trump’s, by keeping his thoughts on Abrams’ campaign positive. The New York Times quotes the newly elected governor as having credited her for running “one heck of a campaign.”
Kemp would later encourage American voters to move forward with confidence that the system has “laws on the books that prevent elections from being stolen from anyone.” It was a message that couldn’t be more different than the one Abrams sent when she declared that she may recognize Kemp as the winner, but cannot bring herself to concede in the true sense of the word.
“To watch an elected official – who claims to represent the people of this state, baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s democratic right to vote – has been truly appalling,” said Abrams.
Stacey Abrams calls Brian Kemp the 'victor' in Georgia's governor's race: https://t.co/pBvqlThjsh pic.twitter.com/VWO70rQ0vH
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 17, 2018
Congratulations to Brian Kemp on becoming the new Governor of Georgia. Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard – she will have a terrific political future! Brian was unrelenting and will become a great Governor for the truly Wonderful People of Georgia!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2018
Both camps leveled accusations of foul-play in the weeks leading up to the November 6 vote. Kemp’s campaign would counter Abrams’ charges of voter registration and voter ID irregularities, by speculating that the Democrats were behind a plot to hack the election. Last weekend, a federal judge determined that in his former role as secretary of state, Kemp indeed neglected to institute the necessary protections that would have prevented potential acts of voter suppression. The official date to certify a winner was thus pushed back and handlers were ordered to execute greater scrutiny while reviewing absentee and provisional ballots that were believed to have come from voters who were disenfranchised.
As the Inquisitr previously reported, the Abrams campaign continued to weigh the possibility of taking her fight against Kemp all the way to the Supreme Court just hours prior to her having a change of heart. She’d ultimately decide that taking such unprecedented action would amount to her having to “scheme” for the governorship, and opted instead to bow out – but not without clarifying that her acknowledgment of the results doesn’t necessarily translate into her respecting the election’s results.
