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Democrat Congressional Candidate Aftyn Behn Repeatedly Refuses To Walk Back Her Anti-Police Rhetoric

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Democratic Tennessee congressional candidate Aftyn Behn repeatedly refused to walk back her previous statements calling to defund the police during a Sunday appearance on MS NOW.

Behn wrote in now-deleted tweets from 2020 that the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department should be dissolved, that defunding the police should be a requirement for reopening schools and suggested that burning down police stations is justified. While pressed on her previous comments by “The Weekend: Primetime” host Catherine Rampbell, Behn completely dodged on whether she still stands by these claims.

“You said in those since deleted tweets that the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department should be dissolved. Another cheered on a teachers union saying that to fund the police should be a requirement for schools reopening. And another saying good morning especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified. 2020 was obviously a very fraught year. Do you still stand by those comments? And if not, is there anything you want to clarify?” Rampbell asked. 

“I’m not going to gauge in cable news talking points. But what I will say is that you know our communities need solutions. We need local people deciding solving local problems with local solutions. And that’s not the overreach of a federal government or state government of which we are dealing with. And in Nashville and our cities across the state of Tennessee,” Behn said. 

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As Rampbell pressed her more, Behn said she did not remember those tweets and that she is focusing on her congressional race.

Behn is running in the special election being held in Tennessee’s 7th district, where she is challenging Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner for Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s administration.

Behn has publicly insulted her own district and the constituents she hopes to represent in the U.S. Congress,  stating on “Year old GRITS” in February 2020 that she hated everything about Nashville. In resurfaced footage from 2023, Behn called Tennessee a “godforsaken” state.

The candidate also called Tennessee “racist,” claimed that college sororities are “a staple of white supremacy,” and has expressed support for taxpayer-funded surgeries for transgender minors.