Democratic Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones has already bucked his party by announcing his decision to support President Donald Trump’s re-election in 2020.
Now, he has likely triggered the snowflakes in his party even more by vowing to introduce a bill that would make political affiliation a protected class and classify politically motivated attacks as hate crimes. As Jones puts it: “Wearing a MAGA hat should never endanger your life.”
Jones represents Georgia’s 91st House District, where Hillary Clinton beat Trump by nearly 50 points in 2016. In spite of his district’s massive Democratic tilt, Jones did not hesitate to publicly support the president’s re-election bid.
Speaking to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones explained the rationale behind his decision: “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.”
The backlash Jones received for refusing to fall in line and endorse Joe Biden was swift and immediate. The state’s Democratic Party chairwoman, state Sen. Nikema Williams, called Jones an “embarrassment” and has endorsed his liberal primary challenger.
While the outrage from his fellow Georgia Democrats initially prompted him to resign his House seat, Jones ultimately reversed his decision, electing to run for re-election in spite of the uphill battle he may face due to his support for Trump.
While “hate crimes” have traditionally been focused on protecting minorities, Jones, an African-American, said the political environment is making it necessary for “hate crimes” legislation to apply to the president’s supporters.
Two months after many in his party disowned him over his support for Trump, Jones took to Twitter and announced his intention to introduce legislation making politically motivated attacks hate crimes, citing “countless videos of Trump supporters getting attacked in the streets” due to their support of the president:
