A number of Republican presidential candidates — not including Trump — are heading to Atlanta on Friday and Saturday to address conservative radio host Erick Erickson’s “The Gathering Event,” NBC News’ Nnamdi Egwuonwu reports.
The event brings the GOP field to the state at the center of Trump’s latest indictment for election interference. And while few candidates have criticized Trump’s most recent indictment in Georgia, Erickson has been critical of the former president in the past. After Trump was indicted earlier this week, Erickson posted on X, the social media site previously known as Twitter, “Well, I’ve said for two years that the election in Georgia wasn’t stolen. Now, all those claims Trump supporters made, including in state hearings, are at stake in the trial.”
Egwuonwu reports that the event will involve one-on-one conversations between Erickson and the candidates, and, according to Erickson, the potential topics include “candidates’ visions for the future, the problems with AI, how to deal with China economically and as a matter of national security, the rise of Christian nationalism in America, how to restrain government, and how to deal with ESG investment standards.”
Friday’s event will feature four GOP presidential candidates: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will appear at the event on Saturday.
Egwuonwu also reports that other guests include Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
In other campaign news…
Trump backtracks: Trump reneged on his plan to hold a press conference on Monday to unveil what he billed as an “irrefutable” report on election fraud in Georgia, NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard and Garrett Haake report. Trump wrote on his social media platform that his lawyers would “prefer” to put the information in “legal filings.”
Debate drama: A super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted a memo online detailingadvice for the governor in next week’s GOP debate, along with a slew of research on the other candidates who are expected to participate, per NBC News’ Allan Smith and Matt Dixon. The advice included taking a “sledgehammer” to Ramaswamy, defending Trump, “showing emotion” when mentioning his family.
Knowing Vivek: TIME has a deep dive on Ramaswamy as he gains traction in the GOP primary, traveling with the businessman in New Hampshire.
Sinema speaks: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who has not yet said if she is running for re-election, weighed in on Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions over the Defense Department’s abortion policy, per NBC News’ Allan Smith and Sahil Kapur. She urged Tuberville and Biden to find “middle ground” and said she volunteered to help find a solution.
Tarheel changes: North Carolina legislators, led by Republicans, passed a bill making sweeping changes to the state’s elections laws, and it could have enough support to overcome a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Getting some backup: Election officials in five battleground states will get an extra boost from a new $10 million effort from the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, which will involve efforts to “ pay for private security for election officials of both parties, register new voters and try to combat disinformation,” per the New York Times.
