Georgia governor knocks Trump for refusing to sign GOP loyalty pledge

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Thursday knocked former President Trump for refusing to sign a pledge to support the eventual GOP presidential nominee, which is a prerequisite for joining the first Republican primary debate later this month.

“Every Republican running for President would be better than Joe Biden. Any candidate who does not commit to supporting the eventual nominee is putting themselves ahead of the future of our country. 2024 is too important for political games,” Kemp wrote on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Kemp earlier this year ruled out a presidential bid of his own but said he would “certainly” back the eventual GOP nominee, despite being an occasional critic of Trump.

Trump, who remains far ahead of the GOP field in the 2024 race, said Wednesday he won’t sign the loyalty pledge the Republican National Committee (RNC) is requiring presidential hopefuls to sign to get on the first debate stage.

“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have? I wouldn’t have certain people as somebody that I would endorse,” Trump told Eric Bolling on Newsmax. 

The loyalty pledge is among several RNC requirements for candidates for the Milwaukee debate. Candidates also have to meet specific polling thresholds and garner 40,000 or more unique donors. 

Trump has hit the polling and donor benchmarks, but whether he takes the stage is still up for debate. He’s threatened to skip the event but said Wednesday he hasn’t “totally ruled it out.”

The former president indicated he would announce his decision next week.