ATLANTA, Ga. — President Donald Trump’s defense of federal poll watchers in Georgia and his suggestion that National Guard troops could be deployed to Atlanta drew sharp pushback Monday, as midterm early voting surpassed 1 million ballots.
Speaking with Atlanta News First backstage in Perry, Trump defended the U.S. Department of Justice’s plan to station federal monitors in six Democratic-majority Georgia counties on Election Day.
The monitors will be sent to Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Bibb and Chatham counties, according to DOJ notifications, raising concerns among local officials about potential voter intimidation.
“Fulton County, you know that disaster,” Trump told Atlanta News First. “They want to watch. They’re not going to do anything other than watch. We want to all have honest elections.”
On stage, Trump called Atlanta a “dangerous hellhole” and claimed if Republican nominee Rick Jackson wins the governor’s race, Jackson will ask him to deploy military force into the city.
“I believe I will be the first call they make,” Trump told the crowd. “They’re gonna call me, and they’re gonna say, please do me a favor. Send in your National Guard. Send in your people.”
Under Georgia law, only the governor has the authority to call up the state National Guard for domestic operations.
At a campaign event Monday in Atlanta, Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms rejected the president’s rhetoric.
“There’s nothing that I’ve seen that should give anybody a concern or reason to call in the National Guard,” Bottoms said. “It’s inflammatory, and again, it’s what Donald Trump does. He likes to amp up this fear messaging.”
Atlanta News First reached out to the offices of Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens for comment.
Atlanta Police Department year-to-date data shows homicides and overall violent crime are down double digits compared with previous years.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger downplayed concerns about the federal presence, noting Department of Justice observers have routinely monitored Georgia polling locations for decades.
“They’ve been here every year I’ve been secretary of state, and every year Gov. Kemp was secretary of state,” Raffensperger told reporters. “So, welcome to Georgia.”
Raffensperger said Georgia runs the cleanest, most secure elections in the nation through state and local administration, not federal control.
A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution/University of Georgia poll found about 25% — one in four — likely Georgia voters lack confidence this year’s election will be conducted fairly.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said attempts at federal interference would only motivate voters to cast ballots early.
“My team and I will go to the mat to make sure that every eligible Georgia voter’s vote is counted,” Ossoff said. “To honor that sacrifice and to defend those rights, the best thing people can do is use those rights by voting.”
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office Data Hub, more than 1,007,000 in-person ballots were cast during the first week of early voting, shattering previous state midterm records.
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