Dozens of community members booed during a meeting in Georgia of the Cobb County school board on Thursday, voicing their anger over President Donald Trump’s visit to Wheeler High School in Marietta a day earlier.
When a video recap of the visit was shown at the meeting, several audience members erupted in boos and began leaving the room, as seen in footage shared by Fox 5 Atlanta. During public comments, more than a dozen people gave their opinion on the visit—with a majority criticizing the board, saying it had allowed the school to become the stage for a political rally.
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“When I learned that my high school, Joseph Wheeler High School, would be hosting President Trump to promote his Trump Accounts, it felt like a punch in the gut,” one speaker told board members, referring to a new savings tool the Trump administration has created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“The Trump rally yesterday was really about the national and state Republicans campaigning for the midterm election. Our community was deceived by this board,” another attendee said.
At least one attendee expressed gratitude for the president’s visit, as the Fox 5 Atlanta footage shows an individual thanking the superintendent and the board for “saying yes to hosting our president and showcasing Cobb County’s great education.”
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said that while Americans can have different opinions on the president and his administration, it was an honor to host him at the school.
“The White House chose the Cobb County School District from over 13,000 public school districts across the country,” Ragsdale said, noting that the county had now hosted three sitting presidents: Ronald Reagan in 1984, George W. Bush in 2003 and now Trump.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment by email on Friday.
Why Was Trump at Wheeler High School?
The president talked for about an hour and 15 minutes at Wheeler High School, promoting Trump Accounts—a new savings account available to all Americans under the age of 18—and his administration’s economic policies and achievements. As part of the Trump Accounts initiative, babies born between 2025 and 2028 qualify for a $1,000 government contribution to kick-start savings. Family members and employers can then contribute up to $5,000 annually to these accounts.
The speech was part of Trump’s efforts to support GOP candidates ahead of the November midterms, where Republicans are hoping to prevent heavy losses. According to polls, the war in Iran has eroded Americans’ faith in the administration’s handling of the economy and the country.
Billionaire Rick Jackson, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, also appeared onstage at Wheeler High School on Wednesday, promising that under his leadership Georgia would match the initial $1,000 contribution of the Trump Accounts.
“I believe our legislature will approve that, if they don’t, I will personally donate it myself,” Jackson said. He also said he would be Trump’s “favorite governor,” sparking a damning response from Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Following Jackson’s comments, Bottoms said: “A picture is worth a thousand words. Today, Rick Jackson stood next to Donald Trump to again pledge he will be Trump’s ‘favorite governor.'”
She added: “Rick Jackson would work for Donald Trump, I will work for Georgians. As Governor, I’ll take action to lower costs, expand Medicaid, and make pre-K accessible for every Georgia family. I will also stand up to anyone—including Donald Trump—if their policies hurt Georgians.”
Where Does This Leave Cobb County?
The public outcry voiced by Cobb County residents on Thursday suggests how divisive a figure the president has become in parts of Georgia, a key battleground state. On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the school to protest Trump’s visit.
While Trump narrowly flipped Georgia in the 2024 presidential election, with 50.7 percent of the vote compared to then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ 48.5 percent, Cobb County went for the Democratic candidate, who got 56.9 percent of the vote against Trump’s 42 percent, according to Politico data.
In November, voters in Cobb County are set to return to the polls to weigh in on several races, including a key Senate election.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Shakeema Edwards.
