Why voters in a wealthy Georgia suburb don't want Trump or Biden (2024)

Donald Trump and Joe Bidenare not popular in one of Georgia's richest suburbs heading into the first presidential debate.

Buckhead, a ritzy neighborhood in north Atlanta, is full of expensive shopping malls and glassy high-rise apartments humming with locals.

Atlanta is set to host the first presidential debate Thursday evening at 9 p.m. ET, but Buckhead residents tell DailyMail.com they don't care about the event - or the candidates.

'I hate to say it, but I don't think I'm on either side,' Kira told DailyMail.com when asked about who she was backing before the debate. 'I think they just forgot about the people, and we're just really struggling out here.'

'I don't think neither one of them is great for us,' she continued. 'I want a woman up there, I mean, I'll take Hillary...I think we can run the country great.'

When pressed on who she will end up voting for, however, Kira said:'Well, I guess Trump did have our best interest over Biden, so I'll take Trump.'

A recent poll from the local Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that among younger voters inflation and cost of living was the top issues.

For 35 percent of likely voters aged 18-29, it was the top concern. And more than half of these individuals - 57 percent - reported being worse off financially now than a year ago.

Among this group of likely voters, a tiny 12 percent said they would support Biden while 37 percent said the would vote for Donald Trump.

One man, Julian, was the only individual to tell DailyMail.com that he was openly backing Biden for president.

'Overall, I appreciate his policies. I'm understanding what he's done economically. He's been forthcoming. I think as a president, he's shown great leadership in the pandemic. He's showing great leadership now with all the tension, he's great.'

And during the debate, he said, 'I believe President Joe Biden is going to definitely perform better.'

Although, Julian also shared he would like to see a House Democrat who has recently become more popular pick up the mantle of the party.

'I think it's a little too late in the game now, but on the Democrat side, I would like to see some other candidates. I would love to see Jasmine Crockett one day.'

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, notoriously got in a war of words with firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., during a late night congressional meeting in May.

Greene insulted Crockett's fake eyelashes before the Texan unloaded on Greene, criticizing her 'bleach blonde, bad-built, butch body.'

Crockett, who is black, later called Greene a 'racist' for her eyelash remarks.

The quick-witted personal attacks between the two lawmakers ensured Crockett's name was all over the news, and for Julian, that was part of why he wants to see her run for office.

But for another local, Shaina, both Trump and Biden are such terrible options - and she's planning on not voting at all.

'I'm pretty much not backing anyone because I've never seen anyone get voted in and actually do what they're saying. So at this point, they're all getting paid from the same check.'

'So it's really just like a stage gimmick because the things that we're fighting for, they already have, and we're still fighting for it, so technically they're just trying to keep their seat.'

Shaina told DailyMail.com that the economy is her biggest concern and she hasn't seen 'any change' in that area.

'We're still fighting for healthcare and wages,' she said, adding the government's 'biggest concern is social media, which is not a threat to our livelihood.'

'We should focus more so on sustainable development and get America into a structure where we're not just living check by check, merely surviving.'

'Get our food and groceries to a livable state where we can actually afford it and we're not struggling, and then we're not just tax slaves.'

Still, if she had to choose any candidate despite her plans not to vote, Shaina said she would pick Robert Kennedy Jr.

A number of blackAtlanta voters recently interviewed by DailyMail.com also expressed intrigue with Kennedy, saying Biden and Trump's performances have fallen flat.

Despite the lack of enthusiasm for national candidates, in upscale Buckhead there has recently been some political maneuvering at the local level with a recent attempt to separate the neighborhood from the actual city of Atlanta.

Last year,Georgia state senators torpedoed the effort by the Buckhead City Committee to sever Atlanta and Buckhead into two separate municipalities, with the measure failing by a 33-23 vote. Ten Republicans in the state Senate joined all of the chamber's Democrats to reject the proposal.

The nice neighborhood also that year sought to increase police officer pay to add patrols around the local shopping centers, where these interviews were shot,to protect against rising theft.

Still, some in Buckhead said they have not yet made up their minds on who they want to lead the country come November.

King told DailyMail.com he is still undecided.'Right now, I don't even know, first I was going with Trump. You know, Biden is good too. Right now, I'm not sure.'

King said he was not keeping up with the debate and likely would not watch it. He also casted doubt on the election system.

'I really feel like our votes don't count,' he said, 'supposed to, but I still feel like it don't.'

An older woman, Vivian, said she too was undecided though she expected to know who she is supporting after Thursday's debate.

She said she thinks the debate will be a 'toss up' and that either candidate could steal the show.

Vivian said her top priority as a voter are women's health issues and that she looks forward to seeing the conservative and liberal view points on the topic presented on stage.

The first presidential debate will take place Thursday night in Atlanta at 9 p.m.ET.