Pearson, Ga. – They lament the struggling economy, the overburdened local schools, the distrust in Washington and the sense that Hispanic immigrants are threatening American values.

The people in Atkinson County echo what many Donald Trump supporters across the state say when pressed on why they supported the billionaire political newcomer. They just echoed it more loudly.

Atkinson, one of the smallest and poorest counties in Georgia, gave Trump more than 65 percent of the vote in the state’s March primary. It was Trump’s biggest margin of victory in the state, and it’s a fact that Atkinson residents wear with honor.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com