Tennessee's Savannah Chrisley claims parents were persecuted in RNC speech; family called 'Trumps of the South'

Savannah Chrisley opened up her speech at Day 2 at the Republican National Convention spouting two sets of numbers. Those numbers are her parent's prison numbers.

"72600019 and 72601019, these may be just numbers to you but to me, they're my whole heart," Chrisley opened her speech. "These numbers are my parents' identification numbers in our federal prison system."

The former reality television star from Tennessee called the conviction of her parents Todd and Julie Chrisley for fraud and tax evasion a form of persecution because of her family's "public profile and conservative beliefs." Her parents are currently serving a combined 19 years.

Chrisley, 26, was critical of the justice system and believes it to be "two-faced justice system" that persecutes "Christians and conservatives that the government has labeled extremists or even worse." She, like many other speakers at the RNC, called on a Bible verse during her speech.

"Proverbs 24:16 says for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. But the wicked stumble when calamity strikes," she stated. "It's about time we start seeing people stumble."

Savannah Chrisley wears family 'insult' of 'Trumps of the South' as badge of honor

Chrisley claimed that her family has been called the "Trumps of the South" by the prosecutors in her parent's case as a way to "insult" them. To her it is anything but.

"He called us the Trumps of the South," she said. "He meant it as an insult but let me tell you, boy do I wear it as a badge of honor."

Watch Savannah Chrisley's speech at the RNC Tuesday

Who is Savannah Chrisley?

Chrisley is mostly known for her appearances in "Chrisley Knows Best," "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," and "Sharknado: The 4th Awakens." Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, the 26-year-old reality TV star lives in Middle Tennessee where in addition to podcasting, she also works in real estate.

She won Miss Tennessee Teen USA in 2016 and placed in the top 15 at Miss Teen USA 2016. This year she was revealed as the "Afghan Hound" on the "Wizard of US" night of "The Masked Singer."

Why are Todd and Julie Chrisley in prison

Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty in June 2022 of committing tax evasion and defrauding community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.

In November 2022, the couple was originally sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison, respectively. They also received an order of 16 months probation from U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta, news outlets reported.

A few weeks ago, the Chrisleys were further ordered to turn over $30,000 held in an Alabama trust fund to help pay for their $17 million judgment after their guilty verdict.

Where is Fulton County?

Fulton County is in Georgia and is the country that's home to Atlanta where Chrisley's parents were convicted.

Who was the judge in Todd and Julie Chrisley's case?

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta was the judge in Todd and Julie Chrisley's case.

In 2013, Ross was nominated by then President Barack Obama to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2014. Ross still resides as the District Court judge for the Northern District of Georgia today.

The Pensacola News Journal contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Savannah Chrisley says parents were persecuted in RNC speech. Watch