Donald Trump got eight percent of the black vote in 2016. It’s not great but certainly better than Mitt Romney’s showing in 2012. It’s not terrible. If we can break into double-digit territory, that would be tremendous, and I think we can do it. For Georgia State Democratic Representative Vernon Jones, who he’s going to vote for might shocked many in his party: he’s on the MAGA train. Screw Biden, he’s backing Trump for the 2020 election and the reasons are sound. Trump has led a stellar economy, though one that’s now crippled due to China’s incompetence of controlling a new pneumonia-like virus, COVID-19. But that will be rebuilt in due time, as long as people keep social distancing to slow the spread. Jones also noted Trump’s commitment to criminal justice reform as another. Biden was one of the supporters of the 1994 crime omnibus bill that led to scores of black Americans being locked up (via The Hill):
Jones told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was not switching parties but praised Trump’s policies on certain issues.
“It’s very simple to me. President Trump’s handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse his campaign,” Jones told the newspaper.
“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.”
[…]
“A generation of African American families have been devastated by draconian policies that Joe Biden supported and voted for when he served in the U.S. Senate,” Jones said in a statement to CBS 46. “A change was needed and President Trump took action.”
Nikema Williams, the chairwoman of Georgia’s Democratic Party, condemned Jones in a fiery response, calling him an “embarrassment” and someone who does “not stand for our values.”
BREAKING: This morning, Georgia Rep. Vernon Jones (D-Lithonia) told me he is endorsing Donald Trump for President. Jones sent me this message about why. DeKalb County and Lithonia residents, take a look: pic.twitter.com/sbk29tMiC5
— Hayley Mason (@HayleyMasonTV) April 14, 2020
BREAKING: Democrat Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones just endorsed President Trump for a second term.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) April 14, 2020
He said that he views Trump as a "transformative figure who has helped African-American voters, military vets, and farmers with his policies."
Incredible!
Georgia Democrat Rep. Vernon Jones has shocked the Democratic Party by endorsing @realDonaldTrump to be re-elected President.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 14, 2020
"President Trump’s handling of the economy, his support for HBCU’s and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse Trump” https://t.co/xJmSley8zQ
Yeah, that’s typical. You cannot think for yourself if you join the Democratic Party. Prior to the Wuhan coronavirus, black unemployment was at its lowest ever. In fact, historic low unemployment was across the board. Good on Mr. Jones for backing the president who has worked to get this economy going again. As Trump has said often on the campaign trail, “the best is yet to come.” But first, let’s navigate our way out of this Wuhan outbreak.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member