Billionaire Rick Jackson has spent his campaign pushing for policies that hurt Georgia’s economy and businesses. He has routinely said that he wants to run Georgia “just like Trump” and can’t think of a single Trump policy he disagrees with — even as those same policies have raised costs on Georgia businesses, farmers and consumers, threatened countless jobs, and have resulted in sluggish growth and high inflation.
“Rick Jackson’s economy-crushing agenda is bad for business and bad for Georgia,” said Democratic Party of Georgia spokesperson Jake Strickland. “He’s in total lockstep with Trump, pushing the same tariff tax increases that have sent families and businesses scrambling to make ends meet – and has even bragged about enriching himself off these policies as Georgians have struggled. It’s clear he’s only fighting to boost his bottom line, and we will reject his cost-raising chaos come November.”
Today, as Jackson joins the Georgia Chamber’s annual Congressional Luncheon event in Athens, here’s a quick rundown of just how bad his agenda would be for Georgia businesses and families alike.
- Jackson fully supports Trump’s economy-crushing tariffs that hurt Georgia businesses.
Jackson has backed Trump’s tariffs that have been a “gut punch” to Georgia small businesses. These policies have significantly raised costs, taken money out of Georgians’ pockets, and have threatened jobs, particularly at the Port of Savannah. As a result, Georgians have footed one of the highest tariff bills of any state across the country.
- What’s more, Jackson has admitted to supporting these tariffs because he profited off them via the stock market on Trump’s “Liberation Day.”
- He even told a voter in Thomasville in March: “I went and bought options on the day that happened because I knew that was crazy and made an 80 percent return in four weeks.”
- Now, Jackson has been radio silent on Trump’s latest round of tariffs on Canada — even as Canada remains one of Georgia’s largest trading partners.
- Jackson backs the Big Ugly Bill that has hurt Georgia businesses and families.
Jackson strongly backs Trump’s budget law that has resulted in Georgia manufacturing and clean energy jobs being put on the chopping block, all while half-a-million Georgians have been forced off their healthcare coverage and insurance premiums have skyrocketed more than $860 a month on average.
- Jackson previously revealed that he supports this devastating budget law because it helped him get even richer.
- He even admitted to a voter in Thomasville earlier this year that “If [Trump] hadn’t passed it—I’ll be honest with you—I’d be paying 40% more in taxes right now.”
- But even as Jackson got richer, the effects of this legislation have been felt far and wide across Georgia, with a labor and delivery unit in Lavonia closing as a result of this bill.
- Jackson opposes Medicaid expansion and would worsen Georgia’s healthcare crisis.
Jackson fiercely opposes Medicaid expansion — a position that has resulted in nine rural hospitals shutting their doors and several others warning they might be forced to do the same. Even as the economic benefits of expanding Medicaid in Georgia are well documented, Jackson still refuses to fight to expand healthcare access for Georgians.
- As a result of GOP failure to expand Medicaid, Georgians are forced to deal with higher costs and less overall access to care that has thrown our state into a healthcare crisis.
- But rather than have a plan to deal with the crisis, Jackson is dedicated to preserving the status quo that has gotten him so rich on the backs of Georgia taxpayers.
- The ‘Action Plan’ on Jackson’s website doesn’t even mention the word healthcare – a testament to how he’ll continue to fail to address Georgia’s healthcare crisis.
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