Trump Delivers Economic Speech at Rome’s Coosa Steel
Endorses Clay Fuller in GA-14 Race Amid Heightened Political Stakes
ROME, Ga. — President Donald Trump was in Rome, Georgia on Thursday, February 19, delivering an economic-focused speech at Coosa Steel as the race to replace Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District intensifies.
With narrow margins in both the U.S. House and Senate, the 14th District contest has drawn national attention. Eighteen candidates have entered the race. With that many contenders, it is unlikely any one candidate will receive more than 50 percent of the vote in the March 10 election, which would trigger an April 7 runoff between the top two finishers.
A key reason for the president’s visit to Rome was his endorsement of Air Force veteran and former district attorney Clay Fuller. Fuller addressed the crowd prior to Trump taking the stage. Trump acknowledged the crowded field, stating, “They say whoever I endorse is going to win. But we have a lot of good candidates that want to take her place.”
Later, on Fuller, Trump said, “I know he spoke before for a couple of minutes and I heard what he said, and I loved what he said”.
Venue: Coosa Steel Corporation
The speech was held inside a factory building at Coosa Steel Corporation, a family-owned, full-line steel service center that has operated since 1972. The company serves Northwest Georgia, Metro Atlanta, Chattanooga, Tennessee and surrounding areas, Northeast Alabama, and West Central Georgia including Carrollton, Newnan and Franklin.
Coosa Steel provides hot rolled and cold finished steel, stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum and alloys. In addition to maintaining inventory, the company offers next-day shipping on in-stock products and full-line steel processing services tailored to customer specifications.
Company President Andrew Saville, a University of Alabama graduate, introduced the president. He opened with a “Roll Tide,” drawing a mixed reaction from the Georgia audience. Trump, who has publicly expressed appreciation for the Crimson Tide in the past, responded with a thumbs up and a smile.
Saville spoke about his father purchasing the company in 1985 and emphasized the company’s commitment to using American-made equipment and American-made steel. He focused on the company’s tire rack department, which he said began to struggle around 2010 as Chinese manufacturers gained market share. Saville stated that Chinese companies were “decimating” the American tire rack business during a period when there were no American tariffs in place.
He credited Trump’s first term with helping that division begin to recover and said tariffs during Trump’s second term significantly increased business activity. According to Saville, the department recently secured its largest contract in a decade, with an American company based in Pennsylvania. He thanked the president for what he described as leadership that benefited his employees and strengthened domestic manufacturing.
Economic Focus and Tariffs
The president’s roughly hour-long speech centered largely on the economy and affordability. He spoke in front of a banner reading “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!” with Coosa Steel products visible behind him.
On affordability, Trump said: “Do you notice, what word have you not heard over the last two weeks? Affordability. Because, I’ve won. I’ve won affordability. I had to go out and talk about it, but we inherited a mess”.
On tariffs, he stated: “The tariff is the greatest thing that has happened to this country”.
He continued: “Without tariffs, this country would be in such trouble right now. It’s my favorite word in the whole dictionary”.
He also said: “Without tariffs… everybody would be bankrupt. The whole country would be bankrupt”.
Referencing stock market performance, Trump said, “They thought it was totally impossible when the S&P hit 7,000 points, and the Dow Jones surged past 50,000”.
Throughout his remarks, Trump asserted that his policies had addressed affordability concerns and blamed Democrats for inflation.
Election Integrity and Regulation
The president revisited his claims regarding the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Referring to recent FBI activity in Fulton County, he said, “All those crooked ballots were taken… the Democrats are fighting like hell. They don’t want anyone to see those ballots”.
Trump advocated for statewide election reforms, including mandatory voter identification and eliminating most mail-in ballots.
Addressing the judiciary, he stated, “I have to wait for this decision! I’ve been waiting forever! And the language is clear that I have the right to do it as president”.
On deregulation, he said, “We’ve slashed a record number of job-killing regulations, cutting 129 old regulations for every one new regulation approved”.
Georgia Political Figures
Several Georgia political figures spoke before the president.
U.S. Representative Mike Collins, who is running for U.S. Senate, joined Trump on stage and pledged to defeat Senator Jon Ossoff. Trump criticized Ossoff, stating, “He’s a real stiff. We don’t want people like that representing Georgia”.
Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, a candidate for governor, was also invited on stage as Trump reiterated his endorsement of Jones’ campaign.
In one notable moment recalling a 2018 visit to Iraq, Trump said, “I decided to go to Iraq. I was extremely brave… I wanted to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor”.
Georgia sports figures Herschel Walker and Gunner Stockton were also brought on stage and briefly addressed the crowd. Walker expressed strong support for the president.
Crowd, Iranian Supporters and Security
Attendance inside the facility was limited to individuals who registered in advance. Lines wrapped around the building hours before the president’s arrival. Many supporters who were unable to gain entry gathered outside the venue or along the motorcade route in hopes of seeing the president. Others assembled outside to protest or express opposition to his policies.
Inside, the crowd was overwhelmingly supportive. Many attendees wore red hats and red, white and blue clothing. The president was frequently interrupted by applause and chants.
One group inside the event supported the resistance movement in Iran. Their presence comes at a tense time in U.S.–Iran relations, as the president weighs potential military options against Iran while diplomatic discussions and backchannel peace talks continue. The broader region has seen heightened military readiness in recent years, including periodic deployments of U.S. naval and air assets to the Middle East in response to threats against American forces and regional instability.
The group carried the pre-1979 Iranian flag featuring the Lion and Sun (Shir-o-Khorshid), a symbol widely used in recent protests opposing the Islamic Republic and calling for a return to secular national identity. Some individuals wore shirts supporting Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran, who has positioned himself as an opposition leader and organized a “Global Day of Action.” The group began a “USA! USA! USA!” chant prior to Trump entering the stage, stating they were there to support the president and draw awareness to the suffering of the Iranian people.
Security was extensive throughout the visit. Georgia State Troopers, local law enforcement agencies and other organizations were integrated into the president’s security and motorcade operations.
Following the conclusion of the speech, roads were temporarily shut down as the motorcade departed under a heavy law enforcement presence.
The speech was well received by those inside the facility, a reception that likely would have differed had protesters gathered elsewhere in the city been inside the building.
