The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pence to return to Atlanta for second time in a week
Vice president continues to tout Georgia’s reopening.
Vice President Mike Pence will make his second visit to Georgia in a week when he returns to Atlanta today to highlight the state’s aggressive strategy to ease coronavirus restrictions.
He plans to attend a memorial service honoring Ravi Zacharias, the Christian evangelist. And he will also take part in a conversation with small-business owners on the state of the economy before returning to Washington.
Pence praised Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia restaurant owners during his visit last week, saying the state has set “an example to the nation” by being one of the first to lift economic limits imposed during the pandemic.
“In a very real sense, I think history will record that Georgia helped lead the way back to a prosperous American economy,” Pence told reporters after a barbecue lunch with the governor and first lady Marty Kemp.
Pence’s comments made clear t he White House supported Kemp’s approach, weeks after President Donald Trump strongly criticized the governor for allowing barbershops, tattoo parlors and other businesses to reopen if they follow safety guidelines.
Since his last visit, Pence has floated Georgia as a potential site of the Republican National Convention after Trump threatened to move the August gathering from Charlotte, North Carolina, unless that state’s governor can guarantee full attendance.
Pence said Monday on “Fox & Friends” that the president was looking for clarity from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. He mentioned Georgia, Florida and Texas as states that could host the convention.