Last week I wrote about a Georgia state lawmaker, a Democrat, who made the decision to resign after he endorsed President Trump’s re-election. Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones is the first elected Democratic official in that state to make such a bold move.

Rep. Jones quickly found himself on the receiving end of some major blowback from state Democrats after he announced his support of Trump. Jones remained defiant and the fact that he is African-American further complicated the matter. The bad Orange Man is a racist white supremacist, you know. So, after an outpouring of abuse from his fellow Georgia Democrats, Jones decided to resign.

In other words, Jones let the bullies win. Instead of truly taking a principled stand and continue to take the heat from his party, he caved. He announced on social media that his formal resignation would take place a few days later.

Jones has a mixed history in politics. He is the former chief executive of DeKalb County, Georgia’s biggest Democratic stronghold, and before that, a state representative. He was out of an elected office for a few years and then was elected to the state legislature again in 2017. He sometimes makes headlines for unconventional behavior. In 2004, for example, he supported and voted for George W. Bush for president. So, he is no stranger to controversy.

Then, after he announced his resignation, he says that support poured in for his endorsement of President Trump. He called it bi-partisan support. He claims he received so much support that he has changed his mind and decided to remain in office. Just like that, he did a 180-degree turn and will stay put.

At first, he spoke about the bullies in the Georgia Democrat Party. He said he wouldn’t be silent about them and their attacks on him.

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

Then he announced his decision to not resign after all.

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.

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

— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020

He came to the realization that Democrats win if he’s gone. What I don’t understand is why he resigned in the first place. If he wants to take a principled stand and put country before the party as he claims, it would be a no-brainer to stay in his elected office and stand up for his decision. He can be a role model for other African-Americans while he is in office, encouraging more independence from the firm grip that the party has on African-American voters. If he isn’t in office, he loses a lot of his megaphone. A former state representative isn’t going to garner as much press coverage as someone in office will.

Senator Ted Cruz tweeted out his support of Jones’ turnabout.

Thank you for demonstrating the courage of your convictions. https://t.co/XmLc9uAP4m

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 23, 2020

The cynical side of me thinks this was all just a publicity stunt after all. He very well may intend to vote for President Trump in November but with such a quick change of heart over his resignation, how firm in his convictions is he? Was he looking for a position on Trump’s campaign in minority outreach? Maybe he is looking for a spot in Trump’s second term administration. Who knows at this point? He looks indecisive and easily swayed by the magnitude of who does and doesn’t support him.

It doesn’t sound as though the Democrat Party of Georgia is changing its opinion of Jones.

“Vernon Jones is an embarrassment to the Democratic Party and does not stand for our values,” said Georgia Democrats Chair Nikema Williams after Jones endorsed Trump, in a statement obtained by Newsweek. “Never has that been clearer than this moment, when he chose to stand with the racist president who has made an all-out assault on Black Americans, who has tried to rip away American health care, and who has failed our country in its greatest time of need during the most important election in our lifetimes.”

“Vernon Jones doesn’t speak for Georgians, and neither does Donald Trump — which is why Georgians will send him home in November 2020,” added Williams.

We’ll see if Rep. Jones sticks with his latest decision and remains in office to provide a role model for voters who may be thinking about voting outside of their usual political party affiliation. I don’t foresee Georgia turning blue in 2020 no matter how strongly the state Democrats predict that.