ATLANTA — Though presidential hopeful Donald Trump held a rally Sunday in Atlanta, Forsyth County was represented by a state senator who is one of the candidate’s state campaign co-chairs.
District 27 state Sen. Michael Williams has publicly endorsed Trump, a frontrunner in the Republican race coming off a win in South Carolina and heading into the Nevada primary.
However, the event at the World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta was seemingly the biggest and closest to the people he represents.
“When he first announced, I had to scratch my head a little and say, ‘Is this another reality stunt,’” Williams said. “But as he started into the race and continued to talk about the issues … the people that are in the Trump camp and a lot of people outside of it are seeing he is going to be the next president of the United States.”
Williams said he thought the speech Trump gave to what he estimated was 7,000 people was “one of his best speeches so far.”
Trump touched on an array of topics, from his win in South Carolina and other primaries so far and building a wall between Mexico and the U.S. to international trade and the “dishonest media.”
“On social issues he hasn’t been very consistent, but on economics and what he wants to do with America with trade, he’s been saying the same thing since the 1980s,” Williams said. “I looked at the people running. I don’t like the direction America’s going in at all. Any Republican will be better than [Democrat] Hilary [Clinton].
“Of those candidates up there, I don’t think they can change the direction we’re headed. They can slow it down maybe. But [Trump] has made already made extremely tough decisions, and most politicians are risk adverse and don’t like making people mad.
“He will have to make tough decisions and make people mad. Especially when dealing with the establishment and special interest groups and the media to do that.”
The Georgia primary election is on March 1. At the rally, Trump said he is confident he will win the state.
“They love Donald Trump,” Williams said of the crowd Sunday. “Anything that comes out of his mouth, they eat up.”