Stockton greeted the 45th and 47th president on the tarmac at Rome’s airport before Trump introduced him and joked about him before asking him to speak.

ROME, Ga. — University of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton was a guest at President Donald Trump’s event on the state of the economy in Rome, Georgia, on Thursday afternoon.

Stockton greeted the 45th and 47th president on the tarmac at Rome’s Richard B. Russell Regional Airport alongside Lt. Gov. and Republican gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones and former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler.

At Trump’s event, he asked both Stockton and Heisman-winning Georgia football legend Herschel Walker, who made a political run himself for U.S. Senate in 2022, to come up with him on stage and say a few words.

“We have Gunner Stockton here today and he’s really good. He’s really good. But even Gunner would admit that it would be tough to beat the legend of Herschel Walker, would you agree Gunner?” Trump said. “Come on. Because Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones was a good football player too, but you were not Herschel. Hey, Herschel, come on up here with Gunner. Bring Gunner up here. Gunner has been a fan. I heard about this great quarterback for Georgia, young guy, handsome guy. We don’t like handsome guys. I don’t like being around them. I don’t want anything to do with handsome people. Gunner is a big star and a really talented quarterback. But I heard much more importantly, he’s a Trump fan. So he was standing at the plane. And anybody who likes me, I like them. And I heard he’s got a fantastic future.”

Stockton took the stage and shared a brief message: “This is a great opportunity, just to meet a president and Donald Trump. This is an awesome experience and I’m just glad to be here.”

Trump later joked that hitting the two guys on the back as they walked off the stage was like hitting steel due to their stature.

The president touted his economic record as he visits the heart of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, where early voting began this week in a special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

There are 18 candidates in the crowded field, and President Trump has endorsed local District Attorney Clay Fuller among them.

Many of Georgia’s top Republicans spoke at the event, among them Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones — who is running for governor with Trump’s endorsement — who posted a photo on Thursday with DA Fuller, Herschel Walker and Gunner Stockton. 

That group, along with former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, greeted Trump as he got off Air Force One at the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in Floyd County.