Georgia Democrat Rep. Vernon Jones Endorses President Trump, Cites Progress for Black Communities

Even as Democratic leaders attempt to politicize the COVID-19 pandemic, people are able to clearly see Trump's strong and decisive leadership.

He is protecting American lives and livelihoods regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, or sexuality.

Those with open minds are able to see that despite the constant negative coverage from the mainstream media, President Trump is putting America first for the benefit of all Americans.

The Hill has more on Vernon Jones' willingness to break ranks with Democrats to endorse President Trump:

Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones (D) broke with his party on Tuesday by endorsing President Trump’s reelection bid, citing the president's handling of the economy and support for historically black colleges.

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.”

In a statement, Jones highlighted Trump’s criminal justice reforms, such as the First Step Act and granting clemency to Alice Marie Johnson.

“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.”

While many politicians have courted the black vote, very few have actually enacted policies that help all Americans.

Some politicians have even been accused of pandering to earn votes.

Hillary Clinton, for example, was widely criticized for using a fake black, southern accent. She also brought hot sauce to an interview with black radio hosts.

President Trump has continued to break all political norms and make inroads in places where Republicans have historically struggled.

Democrats are taking notice and are no longer taking the black vote for granted.

This means that Trump is truly a danger to their power grasp on certain voting blocs. 

The Washington Post reports that multiple Democratic groups are launching nationwide campaigns to fight against Trump's gains among black voters, where black men are three times more likely to support him than women:

Two liberal political action committees plan to launch a $3 million digital campaign aimed at engaging young black voters, targeting those who appear to be open to voting for President Trump or a third-party candidate.

Priorities USA and Color of Change PAC intend to launch the effort in several key battleground states within the next few weeks, getting an early start at trying to convince skeptical or unenthusiastic black voters whose participation will be crucial if Democrats hope to limit Trump’s tenure to one term. Priorities has done online surveys over the past several months that indicate a larger share of young black men view Trump favorably than do African American women and older black male voters.

Trump’s campaign, and some Republican Party activists, have pointed to polls from last fall that showed him with a higher level of approval among black men and say they will compete for those voters. During his State of the Union address in February, Trump invited several black people as guests, who he used to illustrate his administration’s efforts to address prison sentencing reform, school vouchers and economic development in low-income neighborhoods. In November, the president held a Black Voices for Trump rally in Atlanta, which drew a few hundred Republican and conservative elected officials and activists.

African Americans soundly rejected Trump in 2016, with only 8 percent supporting him. But exit polls showed him getting 13 percent among black men, more than three times the support he got from black women. And even though most polls show the vast majority don’t support his reelection, liberal groups are concerned that even a small uptick in his support or a repeat of low turnout numbers from four years ago could work in Trump’s favor.

Guy Cecil, chairman of Priorities USA, said that some young black men are more open to the notion of supporting Trump because they view Democrats with “skepticism” and that there was “some sort of opening” to Trump’s message, which has touted low unemployment numbers and criminal justice reform. But, he noted, “among African Americans and Hispanics across all age groups, we’ve seen Donald Trump’s approval rating decline over the last three weeks,” which Cecil attributes to concerns about the racial and ethnic disparities in serious infections and deaths due to the coronavirus.

If Trump continues to make historic gains among various demographics, it will be very difficult to defeat him in November.

Perhaps this is why the media and the Democratic leaders are attempting to politicize Trump's COVID-19 response, which has prioritized the physical and financial well-being of every single American.

Many expect that Vernon Jones' high profile endorsement may potentially open the floodgates for more bipartisan and unexpected endorsements.