A leading conservative Christian group put on a show of Republican unity Monday, cementing the new détente between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and GOP nominee Donald Trump while vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance tried to smooth over differences on abortion policy across the evangelical community ahead of Election Day.
The Faith & Freedom Coalition, led by longtime evangelical political powerhouse Ralph Reed, brought Vance and Kemp to the same stage with a shared focus: advocating for Trump, criticizing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and ignoring several years of tension stemming from Trump’s criticism of Kemp over the 2020 election.Trump's alleged efforts to undo the election results led to criminal charges against him in the state.
“We have to expand our majority in Congress, take back control of the U.S. Senate and send Donald Trump back to the White House,” Kemp told a full ballroom of evangelical political activists and donors.
Kemp and Vance also met backstage during the event.
The Faith & Freedom dinner follows another private meeting between Vance and Kemp that was brokered recently by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and aimed at ending public hostilities. Republicans have feared the discord will help Harris keep Georgia in the Democrat column four years after Biden won the state by a mere 11,779 votes out of 5 million cast.