A tense scene unfolded at Georgia’s State Capitol on Thursday when State Senator Colton Moore, a staunch supporter of President-elect Trump, was arrested while trying to enter the state House chamber. Moore, who had previously attempted to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for indicting Trump, found himself at odds with security as he tried to attend Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State Address.
Moore’s efforts to enter the chamber didn’t go smoothly. Security blocked his way, and things escalated when he was reportedly pushed to the ground before being handcuffed. Moore has been banned from entering the House chamber since last year after criticizing a decision to name a building at the University of North Georgia after the late former Speaker David Ralston. At the time, Moore called Ralston “one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders” he’d ever seen.
Before Thursday’s events, Moore sent a letter to current House Speaker Jon Burns, arguing that the ban violated his constitutional rights. He declared his intention to attend the joint session, sharing the letter on social media, where he vowed never to back down and to continue representing the people of Northwest Georgia.
When Moore tried to enter the chamber, he encountered a doorman who denied him access. Moore argued he had a constitutional right to be there, calling the doorman’s actions unlawful. “This is a joint session of the General Assembly. Your House rules do not apply,” he stated.
Things heated up when Moore asked a state trooper if he was being prevented from entering. The trooper indicated that the doormen were responsible for access. A brief scuffle followed, with Moore appearing to be pushed to the floor by a doorman. State troopers then surrounded him and led him away in handcuffs.
As he was escorted out, Moore accused state officials of authoritarianism and said the ban silenced his voice as an elected representative.
The incident drew mixed reactions. Georgia Republican Chairman Josh McKoon expressed his disappointment, saying Moore should have been allowed into the chamber. “It was not only legally appropriate to admit him but also the right thing to do,” McKoon said in a statement. He urged the focus to remain on Governor Kemp’s agenda, rather than internal conflicts.
This isn’t the first time Moore has clashed with Georgia’s political leadership. In 2023, he was suspended from the Republican Senate Caucus after criticizing colleagues for not supporting his push to impeach Willis over Trump’s indictment in an election interference case. Moore described the suspension as retaliation, claiming it wouldn’t stop him from fighting back.
Moore had also spearheaded efforts to call a special session to impeach or defund Willis, a move that earned him Trump’s endorsement but faced sharp criticism from Kemp, who dismissed it as a “grifter scam.” The case against Willis later fell apart due to her personal involvement with a prosecutor she had hired.
As the dust settles, this incident has left many Georgians divided over the state’s political tensions and the limits of dissent within its governing bodies.
