Ben Bowling, the valedictorian of Bell County High School in Pineville, Ky., made an inspirational appeal that left his graduating classmates and their parents dumbstruck.
“This is the part of my speech where I share some inspirational quotes I found on Google,” he told the packed auditorium. “‘Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table’ — Donald J. Trump.”
The crowd burst into applause. President Trump is quite popular in Pineville and the surrounding area, which is the heart of coal country and overwhelmingly supported the president in the 2016 election after he promised to bring coal jobs back to America.
Mr. Bowling, though, wasn’t finished.
“Just kidding,” he said. “That was Barack Obama.”
Mr. Obama is unpopular in that part of the state. During the campaign, President Trump promised to revive the area, bringing back jobs and loosening regulations. Just last week, Mr. Trump ordered Energy Secretary Rick Perry to explore policies to keep unprofitable coal and nuclear plants from closing. “He told us what we wanted to hear,” Mr. Gambrel, principal of Bell County High School said. “He has helped some of the folks who previously didn’t have jobs. Some have gone back to work.” Mr. Bowling graduated from Bell County High School with a 4.2 grade point average and will attend the University of Kentucky on a full scholarship, Mr. Gambrel said.