Trump privately supported Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to reopen before publicly criticizing the idea, igniting another feud between him and governors

• President Donald Trump initially supported Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to reopen the state before publicly criticizing it a day later, two administration officials told the Associated Press.
• Trump changed his mind about the plan when health officials told him it could lead to a second wave of infections.
• Kemp is allowing businesses like gyms, tattoo parlors, and bowling alleys to reopen from Friday.
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President Donald Trump threw Georgia's Republican governor under the bus this week, saying he "strongly disagreed" and "wasn't at all happy" with Brian Kemp's plan to reopen certain businesses.

But two administration officials told the Associated Press (AP) that Trump was initially supportive of Kemp's plan, and even praised him on a phone call a day before the president started publicly bashing him.

It's the latest feud the president has started with one of his governors, a tactic reportedly being used in an attempt to shift blame for the coronavirus response and get him reelected.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the AP, said Trump changed his mind about Georgia's reopening after speaking to health officials on his coronavirus task force, including Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

On Monday, Kemp was among the first governors to announce plans to reopen. Under Kemp's plan, businesses like gyms, tattoo parlors, and bowling alleys are being allowed to reopen with certain restrictions from Friday.

The sources told the AP that Trump spoke to Kemp more than once about the plan, and that both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made separate calls to Kemp on Tuesday to praise his performance.

But then Trump spoke to health officials who said that Kemp was moving too fast and would likely lead to a second wave of infections in the state, the AP reported.

After these talks, the president called Kemp and tried to get him to change his plan, but the governor refused, according to the officials.

Kemp suggested they continue their discussion on another call, but they didn't reconnect before Trump started publicly criticizing the plan later that same day, according to the AP.

"I told the governor of Georgia Brian Kemp that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities," Trump said during Wednesday's press briefing. "He knows what's he's doing."

On Thursday, Trump elaborated that he was specifically unhappy with Kemp's plan to let spas reopen. "I wasn't happy with Brian Kemp, I wasn't at all happy," he said.

As of Thursday, Georgia recorded more than 21,800 confirmed coronavirus infections and 881 deaths.

Despite the president's flip-flopping on the issue, his supports in the state encouraged the end of quarantine measures on Facebook, saying they're willing to take a risk to help the economy, Business Insider's Julie Gerstein reported.

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