Supporters of President Donald Trump in Georgia say they are sticking with him even as affordability worries grow and gas prices climb because of the war with Iran. One voter described him as the "best president" of her lifetime.
The comments came at a rally Saturday in Perry, where Trump campaigned with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson, the CEO of a healthcare staffing group, and Rep. Mike Collins, who is challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat. Candidates in House races across the state also appeared. Trump's approval rating stood at 36%, with 64% disapproving. He urged the crowd to act as though "he's on the ballot" on Nov. 3.
The Senate race is expected to be closely fought. Republicans see Ossoff's seat as a possible pickup that would help them keep control of the chamber. Ossoff won it in a January 2021 runoff by 1.22%, a margin of fewer than 55,000 votes. Trump carried Georgia in 2024 by 2.2%.
Rallygoer Gloria Barkman said she backs Trump because he keeps his promises. "I know people are upset because things don't look good with the gas and everything like that, but give him time and they'll be seeing the difference," she said.
Gas in Georgia averages about $3.66 per gallon, up from $2.72 in February, before the war began. Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and threats to limit shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have unsettled global oil markets and pushed prices up worldwide. According to Pew, about 65% of Americans disapprove of how Trump has handled the conflict.
Jim Taylor, an Air Force veteran, said higher prices at the pump are worth it to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "Gas prices really wouldn't matter if a nuclear weapon went off in our country," he said, adding that he is proud the president was willing to do what had to be done.
Trump told the crowd that oil prices would fall soon and cited an inflation rate of 1.7% over the last three months. The latest official annual CPI inflation rate, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 3.7% in September.
TJ Barb, who said he is not very political, praised Trump Accounts, the investment accounts created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. "The investment in children, that's significant," he said. Barb and Taylor both said they were not very familiar with Collins before this cycle but trust Trump's endorsement. "I would vote for anybody that Trump endorses," Taylor said. Barb added that hearing Collins' blue-collar story helped him connect with the candidate.
John Salvesen, the Republican nominee in Georgia's 5th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold in Atlanta once represented by John Lewis, also praised Collins, calling him a fellow working man. Meyer Siegfried, a spokesperson for Collins, said the congressman is "proud" to have Trump's support and is "out every day earning the trust of Georgians."
