Former President Donald Trump has launched a blistering personal attack on a Democratic congressional candidate in Tennessee, accusing her of hating Christianity and showing open disdain for country music.
Trump's Truth Social Broadside
The intervention came on Sunday 1 December 2025, via Trump's Truth Social platform, where he endorsed his preferred MAGA candidate, Matt Van Epps. Van Epps is running in a special election for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, a seat left vacant by the resigning Republican Representative Mark Green.
"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," Trump wrote.
He then turned his fire on the Democratic nominee, state representative Aftyn Behn. "Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music," the former president claimed.
Trump asserted that Behn had said "all of these things precisely" and that evidence was "ON TAPE." He urged supporters not to take the race for granted, warning that "Radical Left Democrats" were spending heavily to defeat Van Epps.
The Origins of the 'Country Music' Claim
The president's specific allegation about country music appears to stem from comments Behn made during a 2020 podcast interview. Speaking about Nashville, she said: "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 apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country."
Behn, a former social worker and community organiser, addressed these past remarks in a recent interview with civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton on his MSNOW show. She sought to clarify her position, stating: "As a Nashvillian, I think we all get a little annoyed with the tourists that come to town, but that doesn’t mean I [don’t] love my city."
She explained her decision to run for office as a proactive response, saying: "In fact, instead of sitting on the sideline and complaining about it, I decided to run for office, and that’s why I’m the state representative that represents downtown Nashville."
A National Bellwether with Heavy Spending
The special election on Tuesday 2 December is being closely monitored across the United States as a potential indicator for the 2026 midterm elections. A victory for Behn, flipping a traditionally Republican seat, would signal significant political headwinds for the GOP and reflect on Trump's first year back in the Oval Office.
The financial stakes are high. According to reports from Mediaite, Republican Political Action Committees (PACs) have invested approximately $2 million into Van Epps's campaign to secure the seat. On the Democratic side, a House Democratic super PAC has spent around $1 million on television and digital advertisements supporting Behn, who campaigns under the slogan "Vote Early, Vote Aftyn."
Behn secured her place as the Democratic nominee after winning a primary in October against fellow state representatives Vincent Dixie and Bo Mitchell, as well as local businessman Darden Copeland.
Implications for the Political Landscape
Trump's direct involvement and highly personal critique underscore the national significance both parties are attributing to this contest. The race pits a Trump-endorsed MAGA loyalist against a progressive Democrat in a state where Trump remains deeply popular with the base.
The outcome will be dissected for clues about voter sentiment, the potency of cultural issues like religion and music, and the former president's continuing influence on electoral politics as the next election cycle begins to take shape.
