A state-level lawmaker in Georgia received backlash from fellow Democrats when he endorsed President Trump for reelection instead of supporting the party’s choice. The lawmaker was promptly pressed to resign, but has since had a change of heart.
State Rep. Vernon Jones, who represents an Atlanta-area district that includes portions of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, said that Trump’s policies have helped him and other African Americans.
“It’s very simple to me,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “President Trump’s handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse his campaign.
“There are a lot of African-Americans who clearly see and appreciate he’s doing something that’s never been done before,” Jones added. “When you look at the unemployment rates among black Americans before the pandemic, they were at historic lows. That’s just a fact.”
Georgia Democrats quickly attacked Jones for his decision to endorse the president. State Sen. Nikema Williams, chairwoman of the Georgia Democratic Party, issued a statement calling Jones an “embarrassment,” adding he “does not stand for our values.”
Due to the tremendous retaliation of his endorsement of Trump last week, Jones announced Tuesday of his intentions to resign from his seat. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that despite his resignation, he would not be leaving the Democratic Party because “somebody’s got to be in there to hold them accountable — hold them accountable to how they are treating black people [and] root out the bigotry.”
“Turn the lights off, I have left the plantation,” Jones said in a separate statement officially announcing his resignation. “Someone else can occupy that suite. Therefore, I intend not to complete my term effective April 22, 2020.”
But then, Jones had a change of heart due to the tremendous amount of support he received.
“Yesterday, I announced my intentions to resign from my office,” Jones posted on his social media account on Thursday. “But shortly thereafter, the outpour[sic] of support I received was too great for me to ignore. I will not allow the Democrats to bully me into submission. I will not let them win. I will NOT resign.”
While Democrats are denouncing and shunning Jones, Republicans appreciate the fact that even though Jones represents one of Georgia’s most populous and left-leaning districts, he had integrity and stayed true to himself and his values.
“Vernon has been a Trump fan for a while,” said Brandon Phillips, head of Trump’s 2016 campaign in Georgia. “Glad to see him putting Georgia first over party.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-TX) responded by thanking Jones for “demonstrating the courage of your convictions.”
“I intend to help the Democrat Party get rid of its bigotry against Black people that are independent and conservative,” Jones told the Journal-Constitution. “I endorsed the White guy (Donald J. Trump) that let Blacks out of jail, and they endorsed the White guy (Joe Biden) that put Blacks in jail.”
