Chaos erupted at Georgia’s State Capitol on Thursday morning when GOP State Senator Colton Moore was arrested after a tense standoff with security. Moore, who previously sought to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for indicting Donald Trump, attempted to enter the House floor for Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State Address despite being banned from the chamber. The ban stemmed from Moore’s harsh criticism last year of a resolution honoring former House Speaker David Ralston, whom he called “one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders.” Ahead of the event, Moore wrote to House Speaker Jon Burns arguing that the ban was unconstitutional and insisted he would attend the joint session, declaring on X that he would “never back down.”
When Moore tried entering the chamber, a doorman stopped him, leading to a physical confrontation in which Moore was pushed to the floor. Moore argued he had a constitutional right to be there and demanded the doorman be arrested. State troopers then surrounded and detained him. As he was escorted out, Moore accused Georgia’s government of being “ruled by authoritarians” and claimed the ban censored his voice as an elected official. Georgia GOP chairman Josh McKoon later expressed disappointment and said Moore should have been admitted.
Moore’s arrest follows ongoing conflict with Republican leadership. In 2023, the GOP Senate Caucus suspended him after he criticized colleagues who rejected his push to impeach Fani Willis. Moore championed a special session to remove or defund Willis, receiving Trump’s endorsement, though Governor Kemp dismissed the effort as “a grifter scam.” The case against Trump later weakened partly due to Willis’s romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade.