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Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones just delivered his remarks at the Republican National Convention, making a plea for the country to vote for Donald J. Trump.He was one of 23 speakers for the first night of the four-day convention, which was televised nationally by CNN and other networks.
Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams issued a statement saying that Jones neither represents Black Georgians nor the Democratic Party.
Jones said the following in a prepared statement:
“My name is Vernon Jones. I am a state representative from the great state of Georgia. As you can see, I’m a man of color. And I am a lifelong Democrat.
You may be wondering, “Why is a lifelong Democrat speaking at the Republican National Convention? That’s a fair question. And here’s your answer:
The Democratic Party does not want Black people to leave the mental Plantation they’ve had us on for decades.
But I have news for them: We are free people with free minds. I am part of a large and growing segment of the Black community who are independent thinkers. And we believe that Donald Trump is the President that America needs to lead us forward.
This is no time for sleeping in the basement. Joe Biden has had 47 years to produce results. But he’s all talk and no action — just like so many of these Democrats who’ve been making promises for decades.
When President Trump sought to earn the Black vote, the Democratic Party leaders went crazy! Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer literally started wearing Kente cloth scarves around the Capitol! As if that pandering were enough to keep us quiet!
Let me tell you why I’m supporting our President.
I grew up in the South. My parents built with their own hands a four room cinder block home with no indoor plumbing. They had very limited education. But they instilled in us a strong work ethic that drove me from the tobacco fields of North Carolina, to hallowed halls of the Georgia General Assembly.
My parents taught me if I believed in God, worked hard, and treated every person fairly, there was no limit to what we could achieve.
I attended North Carolina Central University, a historically black college. For generations, HBCUs have been the breeding ground for black scholars in math, science, religion, engineering and politics. They have been important springboards for black success ever since. But Democrats haven’t treated them like that.
When President Trump took office, he changed everything. He delivered historic funding to HBCUs. And he guaranteed it for 10 years. That gave our HBCUs stability–the chance to grow and produce the next generation of black leaders.
That’s right. Donald Trump did that.
He also supported school choice initiatives to ensure that every child — no matter their race or zip code — has access to a great education.
But education is just the beginning.
The President also built the most inclusive economy ever, with record low unemployment for African Americans and record high participation in the workforce.
He put Opportunity Zones in the Trump tax bill that will drive investment into our communities for decades to come.
He put the interests of American workers — and especially black workers — First.
That’s right. Donald Trump did that.
He delivered historic criminal justice reform. He ended — once and for all — the policy of mass incarceration of Black people, which has decimated our communities.
Democrats couldn’t do it! Obama couldn’t do it! Joe Biden and Kamala Harris definitely couldn’t do it! But Donald Trump did. He’s also working every day to make our communities safer.
As a former County Executive of DeKalb County, Georgia, I directed one of the largest public safety departments in the southeast. I’ve seen tragic shootings on both sides–officers killing citizens and citizens killing officers in the line of duty.
Police officers are our fellow citizens. They love our country. They have families.
They live in our communities. Unfortunately, Democrats have turned their backs on our brave police officers. They call it “defunding.” And it’s a danger to our cities, our neighborhoods, and our children.
Isn’t it ironic that the Democrat politicians never leave home without security to protect them at all times? Why don’t they forgo their security and replace them with social workers, since that’s what they want for us?
Our police need more funding, not less — for frequent psychological examinations, for “non lethal” remote restraint technology, and for more de-escalation and use of force training.
These are the common sense solutions that President Trump supports–true, sincere police reforms.
That’s right. Donald Trump did that.
Education. Jobs. Safety. Security. On issue after issue, and in just a single term, he destroyed these negative forces that have victimized the Black community for decades. He gave us the opportunity to rise!
Now, you know when I made the public announcement of my support for President Trump, all hell broke loose.
I was threatened, called an embarrassment, and asked to resign by my Party. Unfortunately, that’s consistent with the Democratic Party and how they view independent thinking Black men and women.
But I’m here to tell you that Black voices are becoming more Woke and louder than ever.
The Democratic Party has become infected with a pandemic of:
- Intolerance
- Bigotry
- Socialism
- Anti-law enforcement bias
- And a dangerous tolerance for people who attack others, destroy property, and terrorize our communities.
That’s what this election is all about. And that’s why right now — more than ever before — America needs Donald Trump in the Oval Office for another four years!
God bless you, and vote Trump!”
Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams released the following statement regarding Jones’ appearance at the Republican National Convention.
“Vernon Jones has a long history of betraying his constituents and our Democratic values — he does not represent Black Georgians, and he does not represent our party. Trump’s administration has done nothing but hurt Black Georgians, from siding with white nationalists to ripping away Georgians’ health care to making our serious issues of systemic racism and police brutality worse. DeKalb voters have rejected Trump and his cronies, and they’re rejecting Vernon Jones — which is why he had to withdraw from the ballot this November rather than face defeat like Donald Trump and the rest of his cronies.”