In his post-acquittal speech at the White House, President Donald Trump praised both Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., for their assistance. Now, amid a heated Senate race, the president might get stuck choosing between two stalwart backers.
Except, he won't, Collins told the Georgia Recorder.
"He's not getting in this race," Collins told the Recorder last week.
"I respect the fact that he's staying out of it."
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is not staying out of it. The NRSC is unhappy Collins is challenging the incumbent Loeffler.
"Collins is everything Georgians hate about Washington," NRSC Executive Director Kevin McLaughlin told CNN. "He is a swamp creature that claims to be conservative."
McLaughlin's attack is related to fears the GOP is walking a tightrope in holding its Senate majority in 2020.
"Now, having made an emotional, ill-informed and selfish decision, he finds himself at a crossroads," McLaughlin told CNN of Collins.
"Republicans who are working to re-elect President Trump and retain the Senate majority hope he has a moment of clarity, does the right thing and walks away from this poor decision. Otherwise, voters will make it for him."
At his acquittal speech, Trump attempted to ease the bitter battle.
"I know Kelly, you're going to end up liking [Collins] a lot," Trump said. "Something's gonna happen that's going to be very good, I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet."
The special election for Loeffler's Senate seat will not have primaries, and all the candidates will appear on the November ballot. If no one receives a majority of the vote, the top two will be in a runoff next January, finishing out the term through 2022.
"If I were Loeffler, I would not trust a word out of Trump's mouth, and if I were Collins, I would not trust a word out of Trump's mouth," Rep. Hank Johnson Johnson, D-Ga., told the Recorder. "But I believe that Collins is in a better position to trust what the president uttered.
"I think that Doug Collins is going to lean on his closeness to the administration and he's going to invoke Trump as the reason why he should replace Loeffler."