DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The Republican National Convention starts Monday and one Georgia Democrat is helping to kick off the event -- as one of the speakers.
State Rep. Vernon Jones is slated to speak in support of President Donald Trump on Monday night. He's the only Georgian out of the 62 public speakers announced. Jones currently serves Georgia's 91st District which covers Lithonia.
He's also the former Dekalb County CEO. Jones is the only Democratic state official in Georgia to endorse the president. Jones said he has been a Trump supporter for four years.
"Donald J. Trump has been, probably one of the best friends in the African American community in terms of getting things done for them than any president going back to the Nixon years," Jones told 11Alive. "For the past 60 years, the Democratic party's been telling us, they going to do this for us and do that for us, but when they get elected, they throw us off the bus."
Jones was also critical of a previous statement by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
"I'm tired of the Democratic party taking the Black vote for granted," he said. "I'm tired of Joe Biden just thinking because we're Black, we're supposed to vote for him."
He discovered he'd been selected to give a speech during the Republican National Convention through the news, but he is looking forward to it. Jones said he plans to discuss how he feels President Trump is getting things done for the Black community.