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A Democratic congressional candidate in Tennessee is facing backlash over past posts calling to dissolve the Nashville Police Department, with her GOP opponent urging voters to “stand with law enforcement.”
The controversy erupted before Tennessee’s Dec. 2 special election, where Democrats have poured more than $1 million into the race to support candidate Aftyn Behn against Republican nominee Matt Van Epps. Behn’s deleted tweets from 2020 have resurfaced as a key talking point in the final stretch.
“It’s unacceptable and disqualifying,” Van Epps said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends First.”
“My opponent harasses and bullies ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol as a sitting state legislator, which is unacceptable. We are just the opposite of that,” he added.
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Behn’s posts have since been deleted. Two tweets from June 3, 2020, read, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,” and, “Where’s the proposal that dissolves @MNPDNashville?”
During an interview on MS NOW, Behn refused to clarify her current stance on law enforcement and the posts, telling “The Weekend” host Catherine Rampell, “I’m not [going to] engage in cable news talking points.”
Behn is a Democratic state representative running against Van Epps to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Both candidates are looking to replace former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from Congress earlier this year to take a job in the private sector.
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Van Epps, a West Point graduate and combat veteran, has labeled Behn as being too far left for the state and positioned himself as a conservative focused on traditional values.
“We cannot have a radical in office here, and that’s who my opponent is,” Van Epps said.
“There are things that are not right for Tennessee, not right for America, and we need folks to stand with us to drive America First forward.”
Democrats have contributed more than $1 million into the effort to flip the red seat to blue. Meanwhile, MAGA Inc., the political group that backed President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, has launched ads supporting Van Epps. Trump endorsed Van Epps before his special election primary earlier this year.
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