President Trump speaks about Fulton County FBI investigation at Georgia event
In a speech in Georgia, President Trump commented on the FBI’s seizure of ballots in Fulton County.
ROME, Ga. — The race is heating up in northwest Georgia as more than a dozen candidates seek to take over the reins from Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The former congressman resigned from his post in January after a highly public falling out with President Trump. The two continue to spar, and the president nicknames her Marjorie “Traitor” Greene.
The president traveled to Rome, Georgia, on Thursday to tout his economic policies and double down on his support for Republican District Attorney Clay Fuller to replace Greene in a special election that began early voting on Monday.
Fuller will need enough support from the crowded Republican base to take on Democrat Sean Harris, a seasoned candidate who ran against Greene in 2024.
Pete Buttigieg endorses Sean Harris
“No state or district is permanently red, and I believe Sean Harris has the background and values to come together and win,” the former secretary said in a Feb. 20 statement.
Buttigieg and Harris have military records, with the former serving as a naval intelligence officer in Afghanistan and the latter a retired brigadier general.
“Sean is running because he knows the status quo in Washington isn’t working for the people in his district, and he’s ready to work to lower prescription drug prices, pass a farm bill that works for rural Georgia, and protect Medicare and Medicaid,” Buttigieg said.
Harris called the endorsement “an honor” and said the former representatives from northwest Georgia “have not put (their constituents’) needs first.”
In a conversation with Harris on Thursday, shortly before Trump arrived in Rome, where the Harris campaign is based, he said that during Greene’s time as Georgia’s 14th representative, “it was clear that she didn’t represent everyone here in this district.”
“She was only focused on MAGA. And because she was only focused on MAGA, everyone else was left out. I think what’s really happening as Trump begins his transition, he’s going to find out here today that communities are getting closer together and they want a candidate who represents everyone,” Harris said. “Yes, I’m a Democrat, but at the end of the day, I’m a centrist and I want to serve the American people directly, or the people here in northwest Georgia. That’s it.”
Fuller calls President Trump ‘the greatest president in our country’s history’
Earlier this month, President Trump endorsed Fuller in a post on Truth Social, calling him a “highly respected MAGA warrior” and saying he has his “full and complete support.”
But Trump appeared to abandon, or perhaps forget, his support for Fuller earlier this week, saying in a statement aboard Air Force One that there are “a lot of good candidates” running in Georgia.
“You have to choose,” the president said. “They say the person I support will win.”
Former Congressman Colton Moore, who is running against Fuller as a fellow Trump-supporting MAGA candidate, capitalized on the remarks. In a post on X, he shared a video of his remarks and said, “Thank you, Mr. President!”
But on stage in Rome, Fuller and Trump appeared as a united front, and the president doubled down on his support.
Mr. Trump urged the audience to go out and vote for Mr. Fuller, who responded by calling Mr. Trump “the greatest president in the history of our country.”
“We will never stop fighting for the MAGA movement and President Donald Trump,” Fuller said.
Eileen Wright is an Atlanta Connect reporter on USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
