Former President Donald Trump has issued a forceful call to action for voters in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, urging support for Republican candidate Matt Van Epps in the upcoming special election. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, December 1st, Trump framed the Tuesday, December 2nd contest as a critical battle.
Trump's Rallying Cry and Accusations
Trump directly appealed to his supporters, writing, "I am asking all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, who haven’t voted yet, to please GET OUT AND VOTE on Election Day, Tuesday, December 2nd, for a phenomenal Candidate, Matt Van Epps." He bestowed his "Complete and Total Endorsement" on Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, calling him "one of the best Candidates we’ve ever had" who "WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
The former president then turned his fire on the Democratic contender, State Representative Aftyn Behn. He made a series of claims about her, accusing Behn of being "a woman who hates Christianity" who would "take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music." Trump asserted these statements were "on tape" and warned voters not to take the race for granted.
Behn's Past Comments and Campaign Response
The social media post from Trump followed renewed scrutiny of comments Aftyn Behn made in 2020 while hosting an episode of the "Grits" podcast on the Tennessee Holler Podcast Network. In that episode, Behn expressed strong criticism of Nashville, stating, "I’ve been heavily involved in the Nashville mayoral race because I hate this city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music." She added that she hated "all the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it city’ to the rest of the country."
On Monday, Behn responded to Trump's attack in a statement to Newsweek. She shifted the focus to policy, arguing, "President Trump is saying all these things because he doesn’t have a plan to address the rising cost of health care and to ensure that working Tennesseans are able to afford health care, groceries and utilities."
Her campaign manager, Kate Briefs, elaborated in a statement to WZTV Fox 17 Nashville, accusing Republicans of "panicking." Briefs characterized Trump's intervention as a "last-ditch attempt" to distract from issues like rising costs. "Aftyn Behn will lower Tennessee families’ costs and make groceries more affordable by eliminating the state’s grocery tax," Briefs stated.
The Stakes of the Special Election
This heated exchange sets the stage for the special election to fill the seat left vacant by former Republican Representative Mark Green, who resigned earlier this year. The race pits Behn, a progressive state representative, against Van Epps, who has a background in state government services.
Trump also used his post to criticize "Radical Left Democrats" for spending heavily to defeat Van Epps, further emphasizing the national political significance being placed on this district-level contest. The outcome on December 2nd will be closely watched as an indicator of political momentum heading into the broader election cycle.