President Donald Trump has opened a can of worms in Georgia politics in his quest to more than triple the dollar amount in direct checks lawmakers agreed to send to Americans, Republican pollster and political adviser Frank Luntz told CNBC on Tuesday.
After threatening in Congress to let an omnibus spending package, including the $ 900 billion Covid relief measure, languish over his displeasure over $ 600 stimulus checks, Trump signed the bill on Sunday. However, on a rare occasion he has allied with Democrats by calling for $ 2,000 in payouts to citizens.
“The president made a very smart decision by agreeing to sign [the] legislation, “Luntz said in” Squawk Box. ” He made a very bad decision by opening the $ 2000 personal checks because it will cause a terrible nightmare for those two Republican senators to vote against Donald Trump or vote against conservatives in their state. “
Since most Republicans and Conservatives are not in favor of the proposal to increase payouts, it caused a storm within the party when Georgia voters voted on critical Senate wrap-ups over the next week.
The question is forcing Republicans to consider whether to add more to the national debt or deny Americans a financial boost in light of the ongoing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Republican sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who is finishing the tenure of retired Senator Johnny Isakson, will fight to repel two Democratic challengers for their seats on Jan. 5. The Senate games, which will rule the majority in the chamber, have attracted a lot of attention. The GOP has a 52-48 lead in the Senate. If the Democrats win both games in Georgia, there will be a 50-vote tie, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker after taking office on Jan. 20.
Trump’s pressure to increase stimulus controls has complicated the games in the usually reliable red state, and the complication was seen in Loeffler’s comments on the matter on Fox News on Tuesday morning. After the Democratic-controlled House voted with the support of 44 Republicans to increase direct payments to $ 2,000, despite Trump’s support, the measure is expected to face a fierce battle in the Senate.
When asked if she would support the bill to increase payouts, Loeffler broadly expressed support for the president, but did not explicitly say whether she was in favor of increasing direct payment.
“The president has fought for our country from day one. He continues to fight for every American,” she said. “I have supported the president 100% of the time. I am proud to do that, and I have said, we absolutely must provide relief to Americans now and I will support that.”
In a later appearance on the news channel, Perdue gave a more concerned response to illustrate where he stands on the issue, saying he supports Trump’s request to increase spending.
“Look, this should have happened four months ago,” he said. “I’m delighted to support the president with his $ 2,000, it’s really a $ 1,400 increase over what we’ve already done, and I think with the vaccine coming up, I think this is absolutely appropriate, so I fully support what the president is doing right now. ”
This marks a turnabout for Perdue, who earlier this year opposed sending incentive checks before speaking out for the $ 600 payout as part of the latest spending package.
While Trump has said the Senate will “initiate the process” in a vote to increase the dollar amount on checks, it is not clear if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was the target of the president’s wrath after losing his election in November, a vote will be scheduled.
In a statement Sunday, the Kentucky Republican praised Trump’s decision to sign the $ 900 billion aid package, but stopped mentioning the president’s request.
With the run-off in Georgia in a week, Luntz said the GOP is making a “smart decision” to continue to strategize in the state. Trump, who has spent the festive season in Florida playing golf, is expected to visit Dalton, Georgia Monday, election eve, hoping to give Loeffler and Perdue a boost.
President-elect Joe Biden and Harris have visited the state to support candidates Raphael Warnock, who is challenging Loeffler, and Jon Ossoff, who is up against Perdue. None of the candidates received the required 50% threshold to win the seats in the November general election, forcing a second round in every race.
“Donald Trump is needed in Georgia to make those two [seats] stay Republican, ”Luntz said.
Located about 90 miles north of Atlanta, Dalton will be key to Republican’s chances of holding those seats, he added.
“To get a high turnout, there could be a counterbalance to what’s happening in Atlanta and the Atlanta suburbs,” Luntz said of the area that helped turn the state over for Biden. “I have to acknowledge that they made the right geographic choice, but it’s a fact [is] that the president has only gone down [to campaign in Georgia] twice.”
Luntz said 3% of Trump voters in the state do not want to participate in the run-offs, citing their distrust of the political system in the wake of the 2020 election. Trump has refused to allow the race to Biden weeks after the Electoral College cast votes to confirm the results of the presidential race.
“Frankly, he plays golf in Florida. He should get in his helicopter, get on Air Force One, even fly to Georgia unannounced, because the president still has influence,” Luntz said. “He can still become voters who wouldn’t vote for anyone else, and they need him.”