Valedictorian Becomes Graduation Troll

A Kentucky high school valedictorian will be remembered as more than just a star student.

No one anticipated the joke this senior had up his sleeve when he stepped up to the podium to speak to his classmates and their loved ones.

Ben Bowling, Bell County High School valedictorian, pulled off what some are calling the “greatest troll of the year”. When the Kentucky native began to share some words of wisdom with the crowd, he jokingly appealed to his audience by attributing a quote to Donald Trump.

“This is the part of my speech where I share some inspirational quotes I found on Google,” Bowling said. “‘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 erupted into cheers only to go silent after Bowling revealed that the quote actually came from Barack Obama.


According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Bowling stated that he didn’t mean any harm by what he did. He simply thought the quote by the former president was good, but with the demographics of his audience he figured most people wouldn’t want him to use it.

Bowling decided to have a little fun with his speech, and now he has made headlines as a master troller.

Tamia Heard
Author:
Tamia Heard is a rising senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Tamia is majoring in communication studies with a journalism concentration. As a southern woman, she enjoys Saturday's filled with college football and good food!