Trump's Rome Visit Delivers Factory Tour and Rally at Coosa Steel
President Trump arrived in Rome, Ga., Thursday and followed a packed itinerary that included a planned tour and rally at Coosa Steel as the visit was framed as an economic pitch ahead of a nearby special election.
Coosa Steel Factory Visit and Rally
Coosa Steel was on the president's schedule as a centerpiece stop: a factory tour was slated for 3: 30 p. m. ET, followed by remarks on the economy at 4: 00 p. m. ET inside the plant. Supporters gathered outside the factory to see him speak, and people were pictured waiting to enter for the rally at the facility. The White House insisted the purpose of the trip was to promote the economy, and the factory stop served as the venue for those economic remarks.
Delayed Arrival, Podcast Uncertainty and Local Endorsements
Air Force One landed about an hour late, and the president touched down at the regional airport just after 2: 30 p. m. ET, leaving his team behind schedule and casting doubt on a planned private podcast interview that had been listed for 2: 30 p. m. ET. Despite the delay and questions over the podcast, the afternoon sequence of appearances remained targeted: a visit to a local restaurant earlier in the stop, then the factory tour and a GOP-ticketed event at Coosa Steel.
Upon arrival, the president greeted Clay Fuller, whom he endorsed for the now-vacant House seat. Herschel Walker was also present at the landing. The public scheduling and those in-person interactions underline the political element of the trip as it unfolds on the ground.
Election Timing and Local Stakes
The visit comes weeks before a special election to fill the vacant seat in Georgia's 14th Congressional District, with the special election set for March 10, 2026. Early voting is already underway in the contest to replace the former representative who vacated the seat in January. The timing makes the Rome itinerary — including the stop at Coosa Steel — a clear focal point for supporters and local voters in the district.
In addition to the factory stop, the president spent part of the afternoon at a local restaurant and had planned a series of appearances laid out earlier in the day. The original schedule also noted an event earlier in Washington before boarding Air Force One en route to the regional airport in Floyd County. As the afternoon proceeded, local crews tracked the president's path through Rome to capture the sequence of visits and the crowd activity at each stop.
With a compressed schedule after the delayed arrival, the administration pressed ahead with the primary public elements of the visit: a visible local endorsement at the airport, a public appearance at a well-known eatery, and the factory tour and rally at Coosa Steel that rounded out the president's afternoon in Rome.
