. . .In April, Rep. Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was backing Trump because of his “handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges and his criminal justice initiatives.”

He not only voiced support for the president, he also took shots at presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, saying the former vice president has “betrayed black Americans throughout his career in Washington.” He also blasted Democrats like Biden for showing support for the black community only when the party needs their votes. . .

During a heated interview Wednesday, MSNBC’s Craig Melvin responded to Jones’ litany of reasons for supporting Trump by asking the lawmaker if he was being paid to back the president — apparently rather than being able to form his own opinions.

After accusing Jones of saying things that were “patently false” about the president’s record, Melvin asked, “Are you a paid campaign surrogate? Are you being compensated?” . . .

“Let me be clear,” he began. “You get paid to shape a liberal narrative. You get paid to attack this president. I don’t get a dime from this president. I don’t get a dime from the campaign. Everything I’ve done has been me and based on my principles.”

(Read more from “WATCH: Black Democratic Lawmaker Rips MSNBC Host for Asking If He’s Being Paid by the Trump Campaign” HERE)

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