Yesterday, I announced my intentions to resign from my office. But shortly thereafter, the outpour of support I received was too great for me to ignore.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020
I will not allow the Democrats to bully me into submission. I will not let them win.
I will NOT resign. #MAGA pic.twitter.com/gR2MsU5Rb3
The way the Democrat Party has treated me this past week has made one thing clear: they are the bigots they claim to hate and I won’t be silent about it. pic.twitter.com/9kE9kcfWKS
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020
"I'm gonna continue to call this party out!" Democrat Georgia State @RepVernonJones explained why he is NOT resigning after his own party attacked him for supporting President Trump. pic.twitter.com/cBIUo6MfJx
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) April 24, 2020
Georgia Democrat announces resignation days after endorsing Trump https://t.co/fldJkdsJok pic.twitter.com/yUExKDPuU0
— The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
State Rep. Vernon Jones told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) that he had "left the plantation" in a short statement announcing his retirement from the state House.
“Turn the lights off, I have left the plantation,” Jones said. “Someone else can occupy that suite. Therefore, I intend not to complete my term effective April 22, 2020.
In an interview with a local radio show following his announcement reported by the AJC, Jones vowed to hold the Democratic Party accountable and "root out the bigotry" within his own party.
“I don’t plan to leave the Democratic Party because somebody’s got to be in there to hold them accountable — hold them accountable to how they are treating black people [and] root out the bigotry,” he said.
His resignation comes nearly a week after he told the AJC that he was endorsing Trump for reelection, a move that garnered heavy criticism from state Democrats.
“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 last week.
“There are a lot of African Americans who clearly see and appreciate he’s doing something that’s never been done before,” he added. “When you look at the unemployment rates among black Americans before the pandemic, they were at historic lows. That’s just a fact.”
I refuse to be another one of Joe Biden’s “black friends”.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 18, 2020
What has he done for black people in this country? Author a crime bill that disproportionately put us behind bars that @realDonaldTrump had to undo?
Yeah, I’ll pass.
The modern day Democratic Party has become more about defending the interests of illegals than it has the actual American people.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 21, 2020
I take issue with that.
"They are the Bigots They Claim to Hate" - Former Democrat Vernon Jones ROASTS Democrat Party, Vows to Stay in Office and Help Trump (VIDEO) https://t.co/rsHa2sy49i via @gatewaypundit
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) April 24, 2020
Georgia state @RepVernonJones, a self-described "lifelong Democrat," says he is supporting President @realDonaldTrump in 2020, citing the success of Trump's policies in reducing black unemployment to a historic low, and criminal justice reform https://t.co/JlmCHe5eLw
— MediaResearchCenter (@theMRC) April 19, 2020