GA Gov Challenges All-Star Game Pullout; Blames Biden, Abrams

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday blasted Major League Baseball for its decision to pull the MLB Draft and All-Star Game from Atlanta due to the state's new voting laws, saying during a news conference that the law "doesn't suppress anything."

Instead, Kemp blamed the decision on cancel culture, specifically targeting President Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams, who Kemp said spent "days lying to Georgians and the American people."

"Yesterday, Major League Baseball caved to fear and lies from liberal activists. They ignored the fact and ignored the consequences of their decision on our local community," Kemp said dring the news conference. "In the middle of a pandemic, Major League Baseball put the wishes of Stacey Abrams and Joe Biden ahead of the economic well-being of hardworking Georgians who were counting on the All-Star game for a paycheck."

Kemp's comments on Saturday come after Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred this week announced the organization's decision on the game.

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• Kemp Says MLB Caved To Fear In Moving All-Star Game From Atlanta
• Corporations Chime In On GA Election Law After The Fact

"Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views," Manfred said in a statement released by the MLB. "I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year's All-Star Game and MLB Draft."

On March 25, the Georgia Legislature passed a sweeping election reform bill sponsored by Republicans in response to former President Donald Trump's contention that he lost the 2020 election due to voting fraud, especially by vote-by-mail and absentee ballots.

The Georgia law places restrictions on voting by mail and increases legislative oversight of elections including taking control of "underperforming" local election systems.

It also prohibits campaign staff and special interest groups from giving out food and water to voters waiting in line at the polls.

Kemp said everyone in Georgia and across the United States "should know what this decision means."

"Cancel culture and partisan activists are coming for your business, your game or your event in your hometown," Kemp said. "They will stop at nothing to challenge all of us. They don't care about jobs, communities or access to the ballot box.

Kemp wasn't the only one to weigh in Saturday on MLB's decision.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms told MSNBC, "just as elections have consequences, so do the actions of those who are elected."

"The metro Atlanta area is home to almost 30 Fortune 500 companies," Lance-Bottoms said. "This will be a tremendous impact for our state to be boycotted, not to mention the millions of people who work for these companies across our state.

"The legislature passed something that restricted access to the ballot box, (Kemp) signed it into law and now we're all suffering the consequences," she continued.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer of the Georgia secretary of state's office, said during a CNN interview that while the secretary of state's office would not have written the bill as it was approved, there remains a lot of "good, boring election administrative stuff" in it.

"Most of this is about that," Sterling said. "It does the opposite of what the critics are saying it does."