AJN: “Rick Jackson, a Republican candidate for Georgia governor, celebrated how tariffs and tax cuts are growing his wealth, even as those same policies push working people into poverty.”
Today, new reporting from American Journal News reveals that billionaire Rick Jackson not only admits to personally profiting off policies that hurt Georgia families and businesses – he’s openly bragging at campaign events about how much money he made as a result.
AJN reveals that at a March 6 campaign event in Thomasville, Jackson bragged about paying 40% less in taxes because of Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ – even as this legislation has jacked up costs, killed jobs, and stripped hundreds of thousands of Georgians of health care.
Jackson also bragged about profiting off Trump’s tariffs, boasting that he made “an 80% return in four weeks” following the stock market crash resulting from these cost-raising policies. This comes as these tariffs have jacked up costs and hurt Georgia’s economy so much that now Georgia soybean farmers are now pleading that no further tariffs be imposed on them.
Since entering this race, Jackson has time-and-time again shown just how out-of-touch he is with Georgia families. Just this week, he admitted on WTOC to having “no idea” about a critical flood reduction grant that was cancelled last year by the Trump Administration. It was also previously revealed by the AJC that Jackson is deeply invested in Big Oil, profiting off Georgians’ pain as the average gas price has surged and diesel now stands at more than $5 a gallon. And Jackson previously shared on The Martha Zoller Show that it was a “surprise” to learn about the high costs facing Georgia homeowners in the midst of the state’s housing affordability crisis.
American Journal News: “Rick Jackson brags that tariffs and tax cuts are boosting his wealth”
Key Excerpts:
- “Rick Jackson, a Republican candidate for Georgia governor, celebrated how tariffs and tax cuts are growing his wealth, even as those same policies push working people into poverty.”
- “He made the remarks during a March 6 meet-and-greet in Thomasville when a voter asked for his opinion of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), a GOP-backed law that will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, primarily to fund tax breaks for wealthy people and big corporations.”
- “‘We extended the tax deductions, which are good,” Jackson said. “If [Trump] hadn’t passed it—I’ll be honest with you—I’d be paying 40% more in taxes right now. I’d rather that money go to nonprofits than the federal government, so I like that part.’”
- “An estimated 150,000 Georgians on Medicaid are expected to lose health insurance because of OBBB. Hospitals and health care providers that depend on Medicaid reimbursements will likely be jeopardized as well. Last year, a rural hospital in Lavonia was forced to cease its labor and delivery services because of the law.”
- “Jackson boasted at the same March 6 event about the positive effect President Donald Trump’s tariff policy had on his stock portfolio.”
- “‘The stock market went down last April when Trump announced [tariffs],” Jackson said. “I went and bought options on the day that happened because I knew that was crazy and made an 80% return in four weeks.’”
- “Trump’s tariffs, which are essentially a tax on imported goods, have driven up the cost of food, clothes, cars, and other essentials. These rising costs have been exacerbated by inflation. A recent analysis by the Joint Economic Committee found that the cost of living in Georgia has increased by nearly $1,200 a year.”