'Falling apart?' Trump 's insults not forgotten in Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP) â When  President Donald Trump  swoops into Atlanta for a VIP seat at college footballâs biggest game   he âll enjoy the Southern hospitality of a city  he  disparaged a year ago as âfalling apartâ and âcrime infested.â
The insults tweeted by  Trump  a week before  his  inauguration may seem like ancient history to most Americans who follow the presidentâs voluminous stream of online invective. But Atlanta hasnât forgotten.
âIt was very personal because we live here and we love it â said Stephanie Langer  a 40-year-old East Atlanta resident whose anger over  the president âs putdowns was rekindled by news of  his  pending visit.
âI guess itâs just ironic that  he âs coming here â she said. âI guess things must have improved.â
 Trump  plans to be among 72 000 attending the College Football Playoff Championship game Monday evening between Georgia and Alabama. The game is being held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium  the new $1.5 billion home field of the Atlanta Falcons.
The stadium sits in the heart of downtown Atlanta  a place  Trump  targeted in a pair of tweets Jan. 14 last year. He was punching back at Democratic Rep. John Lewis. The Atlanta congressman  a civil rights hero  had said he would skip Trumpâs inauguration after allegations of Russian election meddling caused him to doubt  Trump  âas a legitimate president.â
 Trump  tweeted : âCongressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district  which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results.â
Lewisâ 5th District seat covers most of the city of Atlanta  including downtown.  Trump âs attack galvanized residents to post photos of their neighborhoods and other Twitter rebuttals under the hashtag #defendthe5th.
âFor him to disparage someone like John Lewis is absolutely ludicrous â said Calvin  who figures  Trump  wants to come to the big game for the attention rather than any real interest in football.
Though Atlanta leans Democratic  both Georgia and Alabama are solid âTrump Countryâ states that strongly backed the president in the 2016 election. In a political sense  at least  thereâs no clear favorite for the New Yorker-in-chief to root for at the game.
Hawk said he had heard some snarky remarks from some neighbors about the presidentâs impending visit. But he doesnât expect  Trump  to receive an ungracious welcome.
It will be  Trump âs second trip to Atlanta since  his  disparaging remarks. Last April   he  addressed the National Rifle Associationâs annual convention  which was held in downtown Atlanta a short distance from the football stadium. Lewis spoke at a rally near the convention during  Trumpâs  visit  calling for stricter gun control measures.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms  serving her first week in office  declined through a spokeswoman to revisit  Trump âs year-old tweets.
âDr. King called on us to âmaintain the capacity to forgive â so it is in that spirit we encourage  Donald Trump  to extend  his  stay in Atlanta â said Michael Smith  the Georgia Democratsâ spokesman  who suggested the president take time to visit sites dedicated to Atlantaâs role in the civil rights movement.
Langer said she doubts  Trump  will see much of Atlanta as heâs whisked from the airport to the stadium and back  likely snarling the cityâs already notorious traffic. But she figures heâll enjoy himself at the game.
ATLANTA (AP) â When   [TGT] swoops into Atlanta for a VIP seat at college footballâs biggest game    [TGT]  âll enjoy the Southern hospitality of a city   [TGT]   disparaged a year ago as âfalling apartâ and âcrime infested.â
The insults tweeted by   [TGT]   a week before   [TGT]   inauguration may seem like ancient history to most Americans who follow the presidentâs voluminous stream of online invective. But Atlanta hasnât forgotten.
âIt was very personal because we live here and we love it â said Stephanie Langer  a 40-year-old East Atlanta resident whose anger over  the president âs putdowns was rekindled by news of  his  pending visit.
âI guess itâs just ironic that  he âs coming here â she said. âI guess things must have  [TGT] 
plans to be among 72 000 attending the College Football Playoff Championship game Monday evening between Georgia and Alabama. The game is being held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium  the new $1.5 billion home field of the Atlanta Falcons.
The stadium sits in the heart of downtown Atlanta  a place   [TGT] targeted in a pair of tweets Jan. 14 last year.  [TGT]  was punching back at Democratic Rep. John Lewis. The Atlanta congressman  a civil rights hero  had said he would skip Trumpâs inauguration after allegations of Russian election meddling caused him to doubt   [TGT] âas a legitimate president.â
  [TGT] tweeted : âCongressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district  which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results.â
Lewisâ 5th District seat covers most of the city of Atlanta  including downtown.   [TGT]  âs attack galvanized residents to post photos of their neighborhoods and other Twitter rebuttals under the hashtag #defendthe5th.
âFor  [TGT]  to disparage someone like John Lewis is absolutely ludicrous â said Calvin  who figures   [TGT]   wants to come to the big game for the attention rather than any real interest in football.
Though Atlanta leans Democratic  both Georgia and Alabama are solid âTrump Countryâ states that strongly backed the president in the 2016 election. In a political sense  at least  thereâs no clear favorite for the New Yorker-in-chief to root for at the game.
Hawk said he had heard some snarky remarks from some neighbors about the presidentâs impending visit. But he doesnât expect   [TGT] to receive an ungracious welcome.
It will be  Trump âs second trip to Atlanta since  his  disparaging remarks. Last April   he  addressed the National Rifle Associationâs annual convention  which was held in downtown Atlanta a short distance from the football stadium. Lewis spoke at a rally near the convention during  Trumpâs  visit  calling for stricter gun control measures.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms  serving her first week in office  declined through a spokeswoman to revisit   [TGT]  âs year-old tweets.
âDr. King called on us to âmaintain the capacity to forgive â so it is in that spirit we encourage   [TGT] to extend   [TGT]   stay in Atlanta â said Michael Smith  the Georgia Democratsâ spokesman  who suggested the president take time to visit sites dedicated to Atlantaâs role in the civil rights movement.
Langer said she doubts   [TGT] will see much of Atlanta as heâs whisked from the airport to the stadium and back  likely snarling the cityâs already notorious traffic. But she figures heâll enjoy himself at the game.