Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones (D) is responding to the question about if he gets paid to support President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
Jones wrote an op-ed published by Fox News after his intense exchange with MSNBC’s Craig Melvin this week. During their exchange, Melvin asked Jones if he was a” paid campaign surrogate” or if he was “being compensated.”
The Democratic state lawmaker criticized Melvin, accusing him of being paid to “shape a liberal narrative,” as he raised questions about the reason behind the line of questioning.
According to Jones, he would not be questioned about supporting Trump if he were not Black.
“Let me be clear. You get paid to shape a liberal narrative. You get paid to attack this president,” Jones fired back. “I don’t get a dime for this president. I don’t get a dime from the campaign. Everything I’ve done has been me and based on my principles. See, that’s the problem. When an African American.”
Melvin interjected saying, “Sir, I did not raise your race.” He later added, “No, no, wait. Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re not going to imply that I asked that question because you’re Black.”
See their exchange below:
July 29: After Democrat @RepVernonJones used FACTS to explain why Black Americans aredoing better under President Trump, Craig Melvin asked:
— Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) July 29, 2020
"Are you being compensated [by the Trump campaign]?"
Vernon Jones fired back: "You only ask me that because I don't fit your narrative." pic.twitter.com/9UaNLHeVme
In his op-ed, a day after his interview with Melvin, Jones criticized the network and accused them of painting a narrative that suggests Trump’s only supporters are “financially motivated hucksters putting on a minstrel act for some imaginary cigar-chomping conservative White man.”
He wrote:
“The network did it in order to perpetuate a myth that makes its predominantly-White, liberal audience members feel good about themselves. The myth is that the only African-Americans in the country who support the president are financially motivated hucksters putting on a minstrel act for some imaginary cigar-chomping conservative White man.
Despite Mr. Melvin’s protestations, I cannot recall a single instance of the network asking a question like that of any one the deep roster of Black faces it has on to defend every embarrassing gaffe and racially insensitive remark that comes out of Joe Biden’s mouth.”
During his interview with Melvin, Jones also noted why he supports Trump as he argued that people need to accept that Black Americans can separate Trump as a person from the policies he stands for.
“It’s what I can do for my country and you need to accept that many other African Americans and others support this president because of his policies,” Jones said, adding, “And to insult me to say am I getting paid, that is disgraceful… and that’s representative of MSNBC and their narrative to keep Blacks silent who happen to support this president.”
