Your Tuesday political briefing: Trump on violence; N. Korea tones it down; Isakson’s raucous town hall

Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson points to someone he knows in the crowd as he prepares to hold his town hall meeting Monday at Kennesaw State University. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: Curtis Compton

Credit: Curtis Compton

Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson points to someone he knows in the crowd as he prepares to hold his town hall meeting Monday at Kennesaw State University. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Here is what is trending in politics around Georgia and across the nation on Tuesday.

1. Kim dials it back

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said Tuesday he would watch the "foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees" for a while more before deciding whether to OK a plan to launch missiles into the waters near Guam. The statement from North Korea’s Central News Agency has given hope to some that Kim is looking for a path to diplomacy, ramping down talk of that a missile launch would “wring the windpipes of the Yankees.” Kim also praised his military for the “careful” plan to fire missiles near the U.S. territory that was presented to him Monday.

2. Trump talks about Charlottesville

President Donald Trump went before the country on Monday to single out the groups involved in the violence that led to a woman losing her life during a clash among protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday. Trump specifically called out the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists as “criminals and thugs.” Many felt the remarks Trump made in the hours after the violence did not go far enough. Protesters in North Carolina on Monday tore down a Confederate statue that has stood in the city of Durham for decades.

3. Isakson’s raucous town hall

The town hall meeting hosted by Sen. Johnny Isakson, (R-Georgia), Monday turned into a raucous affair as those gathered booed, heckled and jeered as Isakson took questions on a number of issues. The crowd at Kennesaw State University asked the senator questions about his views on gay rights, climate change, and police brutality, along with why he voted the way he did on health care.

4. Infrastructure order set for Tuesday

Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday that will see billions spent on infrastructure in the United States. U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, (R-Georgia-14), told the Paulding Neighbor that he hopes to have good news on projects that would support and expand the Port of Savannah. “For us what’s important obviously is the Savannah (port) deepening project and the expansion of our port — one of the fastest growing ports in the country,” Graves said in the interview. “… But also the road infrastructure — it’s to be able to handle additional capacity."

5. Charter school support slips

A survey released Tuesday shows that the idea of expanding charter schools is losing support. Around 39 percent of those surveyed say they are in favor of opening more charter schools. Last year, 51 percent of respondents said they wanted more charter schools. According to the Georgia Department of Education, there are 115 charter schools in Georgia, “not including schools within charter systems. Of the 115 charter schools, there are 97 start-up charter schools and 18 conversion charter schools. In addition, there are 32 charter systems in Georgia, which include 326 schools.”

6. Alabama special Senate election is Tuesday

Luther Strange, former Alabama attorney general, is facing a tough fight in a special Senate election primary on Tuesday. Strange, who was appointed to fill the seat vacated when Sen. Jeff Sessions became U.S. attorney general, has the support of President Trump but faces tough competition from U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, (R-Alabama-5), and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

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