Trump's Georgia problem: 'Neck and neck' with VP Harris as candidates fight for battleground states

Former President Trump's tight race with VP Harris is bringing Georgia – a historically red state-turned-blue – back to the forefront this election cycle as the two candidates are "neck and neck" in the Peach State's polls. 

And Trump's rhetoric could swing the state one way or another, according to experts. In the 2020 presidential election, it was assumed Georgia was reliably Republican, as it had been for more than four decades. However, not only did Trump lose, but the state also saw two Senate losses for Republicans, which decided Senate control.

"They're neck and neck in Georgia," Tevi Troy, presidential historian and former deputy secretary of Health and Human Services in the George W. Bush administration, told Fox News Digital. "In 2020, we were still operating under the assumption that Georgia was Republican territory as it had been pretty reliable for a long time, and then not only did Trump lose, but then you had those two Senate losses that came right after the election in January that determined the control in the Senate."

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"I think some of the defeat stems from Trump's behavior in that period. So, I think he has to be careful about what he says and how he approaches Georgia, because in the neck-and-neck state, if you alienate the state, that could make an impact," he said.

Georgia's electorate includes a mix of traditional rural voters, who have historically supported Republicans, and a newer demographic of wealthier, educated voters often leaning Democrat, particularly in the Atlanta suburbs.

Additionally, Troy noted, Black voters make up a significant portion of the electorate, which has traditionally leaned heavily Democrat. Recent indications suggest Trump is performing somewhat better among Black voters, especially Black men, which could impact the overall voting dynamics if he can reduce the Democrat dominance in this group, he added.

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Georgia-based radio host Erick Erickson, also a former councilmember in Macron, told Fox News Digital, "Over 30,000 people refused to vote for Trump in Georgia in 2020, and he lost by about 12,000 votes."

"All he’s doing is reminding everyone why they don’t like him," Erickson said. "And he has no Georgia ground game and will have to rely on Kemp. It’s going to hurt him."

But old tensions resurfaced between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, and the former president during Trump's rally in Atlanta over the weekend, when Trump criticized Kemp for refusing to overturn the 2020 election results. 

The governor responded by suggesting Trump should focus on winning in November and refrain from "petty personal insults, attacking fellow Republicans or dwelling on the past."

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Meanwhile, Harris also headlined a rally in Atlanta last week when she stood in front of roughly 10,000 attendees – the largest for this cycle for the Democratic Party's national ticket – which featured a performance by hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion.

Fox News Digital's Landion Mion and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.