In July, before the new school year began, President Donald Trump visited a Cobb County high school in Georgia to introduce a new financial plan, but many Atlanta residents and students were not thrilled by his arrival.
Trump’s first public school visit since entering office was hosted at Wheeler High School in Marietta, where, during an hour-and-fifteen-minute speech, he promoted his administration’s new “Trump Accounts,” a federal initiative created to increase financial independence and long-term economic growth. It includes tax-advantaged savings accounts that would allot $1,000 to each child born in his second term. These accounts will allow family members, employers, and more to contribute up to $5,000 annually.
Kennesaw Mountain High School, less than 15 miles from Wheeler High School, is where current Kennesaw State University sophomore Jaden Coker graduated in 2025.
As a former Cobb County student, Coker denounced Trump’s visit and was shocked that the president chose to speak there, given the area’s left-leaning atmosphere.
“When I heard that he was coming to Wheeler, and I know Wheeler is a predominantly Black school, I was kind of shocked,” Coker said.
According to U.S. News, Marietta City High School’s student population is 33.2% Black, 26.1% Hispanic, and 23.3% white. These numbers contrast sharply with the demographics of Trump supporters. As reported in a 2024 Pew Research Center study, a majority of Republican Trump supporters are white (78%). 10% of supporters are Hispanic and less than 10% are Black.
Trump began his speech by boasting about how well he has improved the country within the past year, and demeaning former President Joe Biden, calling him “Sleepy Joe Biden” and referring to Democrats as “Dumb-ocrats.” He insulted the press, referring to them as “sick individuals” who produce “fake news,” garnering significant boos of agreement from the crowd.
Trump praised Georgians, thanking them for their votes in the 2024 presidential election. In fact, Trump set a historic precedent with the most votes for any candidate in Georgia, with 2.66 million votes.
Ironically, however, according to CNN, in the 2024 race, opposing running mate Kamala Harris won Cobb County’s majority vote, with 56.9% voting for her versus 42% for Trump. In addition, Trump has lost Cobb County all three times he ran for office.
Despite that, the county’s school board is mostly occupied by Republican members.
During the speech, hundreds of protesters gathered outside and at nearby venues, wielding anti-Trump posters. Some read, “I love my country. I’m embarrassed of our government,” or “liberty and justice for all.” One sign compared the president to fascist dictator Adolf Hitler.
Wheeler students are not new to protests. The high school was among hundreds of schools that participated in a walkout to oppose what many felt were unjust ICE practices in late January of this year.
Days after Trump’s visit, many parents and students expressed their displeasure at a school board meeting.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, one student approached the board and said, “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.”
