Trump endorsements collapse in Georgia

The power of Donald Trump’s endorsement took a beating in Georgia's primaries as he failed to dislodge all of the Republican elected officials he targeted, including some he's publicly treated as sworn enemies.

Why it matters: Georgia was Ground Zero for Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. His struggle to elevate candidates in the state who loudly echo his lies about stolen elections cast doubt on the 2020 election's continued salience for GOP voters — and may presage his weakened lock on the party.

Top target Gov. Brian Kemp handily blocked a challenge from Trump-backed David Perdue by more than 50 points. Another, Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, defeated his Trump-backed opponent Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) too.

But, but, but: Some Republicans say it's a mistake to write off Trump's kingmaker power — especially in primaries without an incumbent.

Driving the news: Trump's most high-profile failure of the night was his effort to take out Kemp for refusing to join efforts to overturn President Biden's win in Georgia.

Trump's invested much of his post-presidency in undermining Kemp, assailing Kemp in statements and privately lobbying Perdue, a former U.S. senator from Georgia, to run against him.

Kemp easily dispatched Perdue, who made questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election a key issue of his campaign, beating him by more than 50 points.