President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan in the early hours of Friday morning, August 8, calling him a “total loser” following Duncan’s announcement earlier this week that he had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
Trump posted his criticism on Truth Social just after 1 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, August 8, targeting Duncan with harsh personal attacks. The president wrote that the failed former lieutenant governor was never able to get anything done and that all he ever did was complain. Trump claimed that Republicans did not want Duncan in the party any longer and expressed satisfaction with his departure by saying “good riddance.”
Duncan, who served as Georgia’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023, announced his party switch on Tuesday, August 5, in an op-ed published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution titled “From Republican Lt. Governor To Democrat: Loving My Neighbor Is Easier Now.” The former Republican official indicated that his decision was centered around his daily struggle to love his neighbor while remaining a Republican.
The party switch came after Duncan was expelled from the Georgia Republican Party in January. His expulsion followed his endorsement of former President Joe Biden during the 2024 re-election campaign and his subsequent support for Vice President Kamala Harris when Biden withdrew from the race. Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon had instructed Duncan to stop using his Republican credentials in public and media appearances following his expulsion.
Duncan explained in his op-ed that his decision to become a Democrat started brewing before Trump’s response to his loss in the 2020 presidential election and the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He stated that there was no specific date or moment when his political heart changed, but noted that policy disagreements also influenced his decision to switch parties.
The former lieutenant governor criticized recent Republican decisions to cut SNAP benefits and slash Medicaid funding, arguing these actions go against his Christian faith. Duncan also condemned Republican immigration policies, describing military-style raids on undocumented but law-abiding families as heartless and pointless, designed primarily to create social media attention.
This is not the first time Trump has targeted Duncan with public criticism. On August 3, 2024, Trump called for Duncan to be thrown out of the Georgia GOP, describing him as a total lightweight who went to work at CNN for a low salary. Trump claimed Duncan’s sole function was to attack him and that he was unelectable and not respected by anyone except Governor Brian Kemp.
Duncan has been a vocal critic of Trump since the 2020 election, particularly regarding Trump’s pressure on Georgia officials to overturn the election results. In 2020, Duncan voted for Trump, but their relationship deteriorated after Trump lost the election and pressured officials in multiple states, including Georgia, to reverse the results. Trump frequently attacked Duncan along with Governor Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to overturn Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia.
The former lieutenant governor has made regular media appearances speaking out against Trump. In 2023, he compared Trump’s moral compass to that of an ax murderer and described the Republican Party as being completely controlled by Trump, likening the situation to a rogue cult leader taking over a church.
Duncan spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2024, where he endorsed Harris and told fellow Republicans that if they voted for Harris, they would not be Democrats but patriots. He received a standing ovation when he told the crowd that Trump’s attempts to overthrow the 2020 election disqualified him from ever stepping foot in the Oval Office again.
There is speculation that Duncan could run for governor as a Democrat in 2026, when Kemp will not be able to seek reelection due to term limits. Duncan has indicated that he has been receiving calls and conversations from Democrats, independents, and some Republicans encouraging him to seek higher office, which he said he would seriously consider.
Duncan told Atlanta PBS affiliate WABE that while he expects some Republican pushback to his party switch, he hopes it will be friendly. He noted that Democrats have welcomed him to the party and expressed willingness to consider running for office again if Georgia wants to elect someone who can build consensus and turn chaos into conversations.
