Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones speaks in support of President Donald Trump on the first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention.

ATLANTA — A Georgia Democrat and former University of Georgia football player were among the big names to support President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention.

The RNC kicked off Monday by nominating Trump for a second term — following the nomination of his opponent, Joe Biden, last week at the Democratic National Convention.

The GOP event has hosted crowds and in-person speakers — a contrast in the all-online platform Democrats stuck to last week during their four-day convention.

Self-proclaimed “lifelong Democrat” State Rep. Vernon Jones — who has made national headlines for his support of the Republican president — joined high-profile GOP members in kicking off the RNC Monday.

Jones said when he announced his support for Trump, he was “threatened, called an embarrassment, and asked to resign” by the Democratic Party.

“But I have news for them: We are free people with free minds. I am part of a large and growing segment of the Black community who are independent thinkers,” he said. “And we believe that Donald Trump is the President that America needs to lead us forward.”

The Lithonia lawmaker touted Trump’s initiatives to increase funding for historically Black colleges and universities and echoed one of the president’s favorite campaign points that unemployment for Black Americans has seen record lows under his presidency and workforce participation of Black Americans has seen record highs.

“Education. Jobs. Safety. Security. On issue after issue, and in just a single term, he destroyed these negative forces that have victimized the Black community for decades,” Jones said. “He gave us the opportunity to rise.”

Georgia Democrats were quick to hit back and said Jones has a “long history of betraying his constituents.”

“He does not represent Black Georgians, and he does not represent our party. Trump’s administration has done nothing but hurt Black Georgians,” Nikema Williams, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, said in a statement.

Herschel Walker, a former NFL player and University of Georgia All-American Heisman Trophy winner, boasted his “deep personal friendship” with Trump on Monday and said he takes it as a “personal insult” when people call the president “racist.”

“It hurts my soul to hear the terrible names that people call Donald. The worst one is ‘racist,” Walker said. “… Growing up in the deep South, I have seen racism up close. I know what it is. And it isn’t Donald Trump.”

The 37-year-old said Trump has accomplished “all by himself and under constant attack” and I implored watchers to keep him in the White House for another term.

“He keeps right on fighting to improve the lives of Black Americans and all Americans. He works night and day. He never stops. He leaves nothing on the field,” he said. “Some people don’t like his style … the way he knocks down obstacles that get in the way of his goals. People on opposing teams didn’t like it when I ran right over them either. But that’s how you get the job done.”

In 2016, Trump won only 8% of Black voters compared to George W. Bush clinching 11% of Black votes in 2004, according to exit polls.

While the Democratic National Convention featured a handful of Georgians from the party, few GOP members from the Peach State have been involved in the RNC so far, but organizers note speaker changes and additions can happen.

But Georgia Republicans have been far from out of the spotlight with both Senate seats up for grabs and high-profile candidates this cycle.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial District 14 GOP nominee — who if elected, will become the first open supporter of conspiracy group QAnon in Congress — posted on social media that she received an invite to attend Trump’s nomination acceptance speech Thursday at the White House.

David Schafer, Georgia GOP chairman, mentioned the state’s governor and senator when announcing all of Georgia’s delegate votes are for Trump.

“From the Golden Isles to the top of Lookout Mountain, the great state of Georgia — home to Gov. Brian Kemp and our senior United States senator, David Perdue — is proud to cast every single one of its 76 votes for the renomination of President Donald J. Trump,” he said.