{"id":2571288,"date":"2026-02-19T05:31:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T10:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kemp-backed-derek-dooley-admits-trump-lost-georgia-in-2020\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T05:33:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T10:33:21","slug":"kemp-backed-derek-dooley-admits-trump-lost-georgia-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kemp-backed-derek-dooley-admits-trump-lost-georgia-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Kemp-backed Derek Dooley admits Trump lost Georgia in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkemp-backed-derek-dooley-admits-trump-lost-georgia-in-2020%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2571288&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Washington Examiner exclusive reveals that derek Dooley privately acknowledged that President Donald Trump lost Georgia in 2020, a remark that could complicate the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in georgia in 2026. The audio, from a Feb. 6 campaign meet-and-greet in McRae-Helena, captures Dooley addressing questions about Trump and the 2020 election, contrasting with his more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-immigration-footing-comes-unstuck-by-minnesota-shooting-11\/\" title=\"...&#039;s immigration footing comes unstuck by Minnesota shooting\">cautious public statements<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The remarks underscore a loyalty split among leading GOP hopefuls\u2014Rep. Mike Collins, Rep. Buddy Carter, and Dooley\u2014as Kemp\u2019s endorsement of Dooley adds a further dynamic to the race to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff. The episode comes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-warplane-comes-within-feet-to-colliding-with-us-bomber-over-south-china-sea\/\" title=\"Chinese warplane narrowly avoids collision with US bomber over South China Sea.\">amid renewed tensions<\/a> following the Fulton County FBI ballot raid and ongoing debates over election integrity, which have reignited fault lines ahead of Georgia\u2019s primary fights. RealClearPolitics averages place Collins in front of the field (roughly 27\u201328%), with Carter around 19% and dooley near 12%, while Trump has not yet endorsed in the Senate race despite his involvement in other Georgia contests.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Kemp-backed Derek Dooley admits Trump lost Georgia in 2020 as GOP field vies for endorsement<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2509434\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE &ndash; <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\">Georgia<\/a> Senate candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3479203\/derek-dooley-voting-record-possible-gop-senate-run\/\">Derek Dooley<\/a> privately acknowledged that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">President Donald Trump<\/a> lost <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\">Georgia<\/a> in 2020, according to exclusive audio obtained by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The remark lands just three months before the state&rsquo;s Republican primary and threatens to deepen divisions in an already volatile race. In a recording<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/span>from a Feb. 6 campaign meet-and-greet in McRae-Helena, Dooley addressed attendees&rsquo; questions about Trump and the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/travel\/4460797\/dhs-shutdown-tsa-airport-delays\/\">Travel industry warns of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >rising airport strain amid partial shutdown&#038;nbsp<\/a>;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4462436\/virginia-dan-helmer-house-seat-redistricting\/\">Virginia Democrat running for new House seat created by his own redistricting plan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4462259\/angela-alsobrooks-first-senator-endorse-jasmine-crockett-texas-senate\/\">Angela Alsobrooks becomes first senator to endorse Jasmine Crockett in Texas Senate race<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;If you guys remember, this was a time where it was a tough time in Georgia politics back in 2020, 2022, the president lost Georgia,&rdquo; Dooley said. &ldquo;He got a little upset with Governor Kemp, and it&rsquo;s a little bit why we&rsquo;re in this mess we&rsquo;re in right now.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The comment puts Dooley at odds with rivals who have more forcefully echoed Trump&rsquo;s election claims and underscores a loyalty divide at the center of the crowded Republican primary to take on Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jon-ossoff\/\">Jon Ossoff <\/a>(D-GA) in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>After being contacted about the audio, a spokesperson for Dooley did not dispute the recording and instead emphasized the campaign&rsquo;s broader message on election integrity.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As Derek has said repeatedly, the 2020 election was rife with irregularities that understandably undermined trust among Georgians about the validity of our elections,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why Derek has been so supportive of the state&rsquo;s efforts to clean up the process and restore trust in our elections in 2021. Georgia delivered for President Trump in 2024 and winning here in 2026 is vital to advancing his agenda, that&rsquo;s why we need an outsider who can win in November &mdash; not another self-serving D.C. politician who will lose to Jon Ossoff.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The private remark contrasts with Dooley&rsquo;s more measured public posture. In a Feb. 5 interview with WMAZ in Macon, one day before the recorded event, Dooley avoided directly saying whether the 2020 election was free and fair when pressed by a reporter.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Joe Biden was our president for four years. OK? And that&rsquo;s the way it is,&rdquo; Dooley said. Comparing the outcome to a tough loss in sports, he added that the focus should be on ensuring Republicans are not &ldquo;in that position again,&rdquo; pointing to the 2021 Election Integrity Act and Republican victories in 2022 and 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Together, the comments highlight the delicate line Dooley is walking. Georgia&rsquo;s Republican Senate primary is scheduled for May 2026. The race features <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3895433\/georgia-messy-gop-senate-primary-needs-trump-endorsement\/\">three candidates maneuvering<\/a> for Trump&rsquo;s endorsement, which has not yet been issued.<\/p>\n<p>The field includes Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), a second-term trucking executive-turned-congressman who has embraced combative culture-war problems; Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), a six-term Savannah pharmacist-turned-lawmaker who has pledged to spend at least $10 million of his own money; and Dooley, the former University of Tennessee football coach backed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA).<\/p>\n<p>Kemp withstood fierce attacks from Trump over the 2020 election, surviving a Trump-backed primary challenge and winning reelection by 7 points. His backing of Dooley adds another layer to a primary already shaped by questions of alignment with the president.<\/p>\n<p>The loyalty divide sharpened following the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4453284\/fulton-county-fbi-raid-prompted-by-kurt-olsen-criminal-referral\/\">FBI raid that seized thousands of 2020 ballots from Fulton County<\/a> as part of a federal investigation into alleged irregularities in the presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>Collins quickly praised the investigation, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepMikeCollins\/status\/2016580349522760127?s=20\">writing <\/a>on social media, &ldquo;Go get &rsquo;em, Kash,&rdquo; referring to FBI Director Kash Patel. Carter <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepBuddyCarter\/status\/2016589083456188886?s=20\">said<\/a> Georgians would finally get &ldquo;long-overdue answers.&rdquo; Dooley, by contrast, initially declined to comment publicly on the raid.<\/p>\n<p>Federal agents executed the seizure after a magistrate judge signed a warrant authorizing the removal of ballots cast in the 2020 election. A newly unsealed affidavit shows the warrant was sought as part of a criminal investigation into whether alleged irregularities in Fulton County&rsquo;s election administration were deliberate and violated federal law.<\/p>\n<p>The raid has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4446635\/trump-georgia-raid-2020-governor-senate\/\">reignited one of the state&rsquo;s most combustible political fault lines,<\/a> injecting the 2020 election back into both the open governor&rsquo;s race and the Senate primary.<\/p>\n<p>The president is returning to the state this week as early voting is underway to fill the open House seat vacated by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Trump is expected to deliver remarks focused on affordability and the economy before visiting a local business.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has already endorsed Republican District Attorney Clay Fuller in the special election, though pro-Trump state Sen. Colton Moore is also vying for the same bloc of voters. Both are among 18 candidates competing in the race.<\/p>\n<p>But while the president has weighed in on the House contest, he has not yet issued an endorsement in the Senate primary. With just three months until voters head to the polls, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3895433\/georgia-messy-gop-senate-primary-needs-trump-endorsement\/\">his silence in that race<\/a> has only intensified the jockeying among Collins, Carter, and Dooley.<\/p>\n<p>The visit follows last summer&rsquo;s stop by Vice President JD Vance in Peachtree City, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3782002\/georgia-republicans-navigate-three-primaries-at-once-in-high-stakes-senate-race\/\">when all three Senate candidates appeared<\/a> and delivered remarks before Vance took the stage to promote Republicans&rsquo; One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It is not yet clear whether the Senate contenders will again share the stage during Trump&rsquo;s visit.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4446635\/trump-georgia-raid-2020-governor-senate\/\"><strong>TRUMP RAID REOPENS 2020 FAULT LINES IN GEORGIA GOVERNOR AND SENATE RACES&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to an average of polls <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/republican-primary\/2026\/georgia\">compiled by <em>RealClearPolitics<\/em><\/a>, Collins leads the Republican primary field with 27.5%, followed by Carter at 19% and Dooley at 12%, giving Collins an 8.5-point advantage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dooley: Trump lost GA in 2020; GOP race tightens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2571289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26044494699310.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[74083,74084,4977,50691,3634],"class_list":["post-2571288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-2020-election-2","tag-derek-dooley-2","tag-georgia","tag-kemp-2","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26044494699310.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2571288"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571292,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571288\/revisions\/2571292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2571289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2571288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2571288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2571288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}