A Democratic congressional nominee in Tennessee was exposed for making insulting comments about the state she’s running to represent.
Aftyn Behn, who is running for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district in a special election against the GOP nominee Matt Van Epps, doesn’t seem to like her city as much as she says she does on the campaign trail.
In a 2020 podcast, Behn expressed her disdain for Nashville and lambasted the city’s music and cultural identity.
The Democratic nominee made one thing clear: she does not like Nashville.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville. I hate it,” she said in the podcast.
As the Daily Mail reported, Behn’s hatred doesn’t just focus on a city, but rather the entire state of Tennessee, which she labeled “racist.”
“Let me be clear: Tennessee is a racist state. Racism is in the air we breathe,” Behn wrote in 2019.
Behn’s comments come just five years before she launched her campaign and became her party’s nominee in a heated special election for Congress.
She released an ad earlier this month that featured country music and had a Nashville vibe.
In the commercial, Behn claimed that the system in the nation’s Capital was “rigged” and accused the federal government of trying to bury the notorious Epstein files.
“We all know the system is rigged in Washington. Here’s how it works,” Behn said. “Politicians make it easy for their rich donors. Tax cuts for billionaires and burying the Epstein files while hard-working Tennesseans get a rough ride. By cutting healthcare for Tennessee families, doubling health insurance premiums and tariffs that hurt our economy.”
The Republican Party reacted to Behn’s 2020 comments and wondered why the Democrat is running to represent a city that she despises.
Nonetheless, Republicans are urging voters in the state to reject Behn’s leftist policies.
“Aftyn Behn hates everything about Tennessee and will destroy it with her radical left agenda. STOP AFTYN BEHN,” the GOP said on X.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Behn’s challenger, Van Epps.
In a tele-rally last week, the president urged voters to elect the GOP nominee, calling him a “true America First patriot who has dedicated his entire life to serving our country.”
Trump won the district that Behn is running to represent by a whopping 22 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Behn responded to backlash over her previous comments by dismissing them as the “GOP’s new attack.”
“NO, I DO NOT HATE THE CITY I REPRESENT. The national GOP’s new attack? That I ‘hate Nashville.’ I’ve cried in the Country Music Hall of Fame no less than 10 times. They’re panicking because we’re close to winning. Eyes on the prize, y’all. Let’s go,” she said.
