Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz called for a primary challenger to Georgia’s Republican governor after he indicated he would not appoint President Trump’s pick to the Senate.

Gov. Brian Kemp plans to appoint financial executive Kelly Loeffler to the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson at the end of the year. The move defies Trump and other Republican leaders who have urged him to appoint Rep. Doug Collins, a Trump ally.

Kemp is expected to announce his decision early next week, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The governor sought to head off any criticism of his pick, calling it “ridiculous” that he would appoint someone who is not supportive of the president.

“The attacks and games are absolutely absurd. Frankly, I could care less what the political establishment thinks,” he tweeted Wednesday.

Gaetz, who represents Florida, fired off several tweets slamming Kemp and his team on Friday.

“You are hurting President Trump,” he said.

Gov. Kemp, do you have any idea how absurd it is to tweet that your big push-back against the “establishment” is a donor who gave $700k plus to Mitt Romney and nothing to Trump until she wanted in the Senate?



What’s next? Appointing Michael Vick to an animal welfare task force? — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 29, 2019

“I’d like your boss not to screw over the President who has been very good to him,” he said in another tweet to Kemp’s spokeswoman.