By Kenneth Garger, April 14, 2020

A polarizing Democratic state lawmaker from Georgia reportedly broke party ranks on Tuesday — endorsing President Trump’s reelection bid.

State Rep. Vernon Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s backing Trump, in part, due to the president’s handling of the economy and criminal justice reforms.

“There are a lot of African Americans who clearly see and appreciate he’s doing something that’s never been done before,” Jones told the paper.

“When you look at the unemployment rates among black Americans before the pandemic, they were at historic lows. That’s just a fact,” he said.

Jones serves portions of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, which are just outside of Atlanta. He previously served as the chief executive officer of DeKalb County.

On Tuesday he faced the ire of his fellow state Democrats for endorsing Trump.

The chairwoman of the state’s Democratic party, State Sen. Nikema Williams, called Jones an “embarrassment” whose views don’t align with Georgia values, the report said.

State Republicans, though, celebrated the across-the-aisle support.

The Gwinnett County Republican Party shared Jones’ endorsement on their Facebook page, attaching the news to a fundraising plea.

“Rep. Jones may not be a Republican, but he clearly understands that we need President Trump in office for another 4 years,” they wrote.

Jones, in his role as DeKalb County’s CEO, weathered allegations of theft. He also often clashes with state Democrats on policy issues and was accused last month of hurling transphobic comments at a local official.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/14/democratic...for-reelection/