A trailer carrying fireworks ignited a pre-Fourth of July spectacle on Saturday evening, forcing authorities to shut down a Tennessee highway.
The Chattanooga Fire Department shared a video of the flaming trailer, which showed pyrotechnic sparks flying in all directions on the northbound Interstate 75 past the Ooltewah exit. 
The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department was also on the scene, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tricommunityvolunteerfire">said</a>, &#8220;As a precaution, both northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 were temporarily shut down due to ongoing firework explosions and to allow fire apparatus safe access to the scene,&#8221; leaving traffic at a standstill. 
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 400px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/2iTlOWQI01Mp003tf201FPYb76QMokvRXpI?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=63bd6e65-1ebd-4415-bca3-522f76e5fd17&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Exploding%20fireworks%20and%20a%20highway%20full%20of%20cars%20created%20a%20nig&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F74e929f1-eaef-4177-9134-618ffd2a4c38.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
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 The department “received mutual aid assistance from Chattanooga Fire Department at the scene, along with fill-in coverage from Catoosa County [Georgia] and Highway 58 fire departments to help maintain emergency response coverage throughout our district.”
A spokesman for the Chattanooga Fire Department <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/video-captures-fireworks-exploding-burning-trailer-shut-interstate-75?lid=n0smsdify2wp">told</a> Fox News that northbound lanes were closed longer than the southbound lanes as crews monitored the scene and cleared the scorched trailer from the highway.
Authorities have not released any information on the cause of the fire or where the trailer was being transported. No injuries were reported. 
<a href="https://www.tn.gov/commerce/fire/permit/licensing/fireworks/applications-resources/displays.html">According</a> to Tennessee law, “Consumer” fireworks can be “used without a display permit, as long as local authorities have approved any necessary safety measures,” whereas larger “Professional” fireworks require a “Fireworks Display Permit with the State of Tennessee.”

fireworks

WATCH: Fireworks Erupt From Burning Trailer, Forcing Highway Shutdown

Fire

Fireworks

Tennessee

Traffic

Thank God For Country Music. That’s what Lakelin Lemmings is saying as she heads into her second CMA Fest, the Country Music Association&#8217;s annual festival in Nashville, this week, just up the road from where the 20-year-old grew up with a guitar in her hand.
The West Tennessee native’s ties to country music began the day she was born. Her father toured in a band, and when Lakelin wanted to get involved in the music industry, he knew just who to call.
Ash Bowers, the lead singer of her father&#8217;s band, had already established himself as a hit songwriter, securing cuts with Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, and Dustin Lynch, before getting into the management side.
Bowers, who is now the executive vice president for Quartz Hill Music Group, signed Lemmings at 19 years old, making her the record label’s youngest artist.
Since signing her deal, Lemmings has released a flurry of songs, with her single &#8220;Get Around Boy&#8221; landing on a prestigious list as a &#8220;Top 5 Most Added&#8221; song in April.
&#8220;I just want to make good music that if you&#8217;re six years old, you can listen to, if you&#8217;re 90 years old, you can listen to it,&#8221; Lemmings told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been called to do this. I just felt like it&#8217;s only right that I mention the guy that got me here,&#8221; she said.
The artist draws on her faith, penning the song &#8220;Life of Mine,&#8221; which echoes the melody of the beloved hymn &#8220;This Little Light of Mine.&#8221;
&#8220;My faith is super important to me,&#8221; Lemmings said. &#8220;And not only was this like a dream of mine as a child &#8230; growing up, but I remember I felt the calling by God to pursue this.&#8221;
&#8220;There [are] so [many] drinking songs and cheating songs and all this kind of stuff, and some of them are great, but I feel like there was a need for just positive, good country music.&#8221;
She&#8217;s putting an album out this summer, and you can expect her southern roots to shine through on tracks like &#8220;American Dreamin,&#8221; which drops later this June, focusing on the things that shaped her in her small Tennessee town: family, faith, and the obvious… country music.
&#8220;It kind of leans a little bit faith-based, but I like to say that I&#8217;m not a country Christian artist, I&#8217;m just a country artist that&#8217;s Christian,&#8221; Lemmings said.
As she’s already started making her CMA Fest rounds, which Lemmings says is surreal, knowing she’s playing at the premier Nashville country fest she’s grown up coming to since she was a little girl.
&#8220;Going to the free things like the Riverfront Stage, and then in 2023 to have actually saved up some money to go to Nissan Stadium to see it, which was super fun … but as an artist, CMA Fest means a lot just because it&#8217;s a way to connect with fans.&#8221;
Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley are just a couple of big names in country music who, not too long ago, were playing a small stage for an even smaller number of fans. Lemmings is aware of their rapid trajectory and is prepared to work hard to headline CMA Fest one day, too.
&#8220;I think for me that goes to show that I need to buckle up because it can happen quicker than you think,&#8221; she said.
Lemmings self-titled album drops in July.

Credit: Noah Johnson

‘I Felt The Calling By God To Pursue This’: Lakelin Lemmings On Faith And Country Music

CMA Fest

Entertainment

Music

Nashville

News

U.S.

Authorities charged a Tennessee school board member with assault after he called a young female student “hot” last month during a board meeting. 
Washington County School Board member Keith Ervin <a href="https://johnsoncitypress.com/news/373972/washington-county-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/">faces</a> a simple assault charge after he was caught on camera touching a student board member named Hannah Campbell on her shoulder before saying, “God, you’re hot. Damn. Where do you go to school at?” After the comment, Ervin leaned over and gave the girl a side hug as a few others present at the meeting laughed before moving on. 
The incident occurred on April 2, 2026, during a school board meeting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=977US_SUGg8">streamed</a> on YouTube. 
The girl’s father filed a complaint on April 3 and a grand jury returned a true bill on May 11 with the assault charge, the Johnson City Press <a href="https://johnsoncitypress.com/news/373972/washington-county-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/">reported</a>. Ervin reported to the Jonesborough Police Department on May 18 and will make his first court appearance on August 7. 
In a statement, the Washington County Board of Education said it was aware of the charges.
“The Board reiterates that Mr. Ervin’s actions do not reflect the standards, policies, or values of the school district. The Board remains committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and appropriate environment for all students and staff,” the board said. “Since this is an open legal matter, neither the Board nor any district official has any further comment.”
The board, which censured Ervin during an emergency meeting days after the comment was made, said it could not remove him because he was “independently elected.” 
At a later meeting, Campbell called the school board cowards for not taking more action. 
“To begin, I want to address Ervin’s actions, which were not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory,” she said. “I know this because he has not behaved this way with any of our male members, nor do I believe that he ever would. I do not wish to beat a dead horse, as everyone here has clear context as to what happened was wrong.”
In a statement after public outrage over the comment, Ervin said he was not referring to the girl’s appearance. 
“Last week at the board meeting I wanted to congratulate a student who did a great job sharing thoughts with all that was in the room,” he said. “When I mentioned she was hot, I meant she was on a roll. It was nothing to do with her appearance.”
Ervin has been on the board since 2006 and his school board bio describes him as a self-employed dairy farmer on the board of directors for the Washington County Farm Bureau. He is also a member of Bethesda Methodist Church. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire on the assault charge.

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One Creepy Word At A School Board Meeting Changed Everything

Education

Police

Public Schools

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) announced Friday that he is suspending his reelection campaign, ending a nearly two-decade run in Congress after Tennessee Republicans redrew his Memphis-based district into a seat that now heavily favors the GOP.
Cohen, who has represented Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District since 2007, said he signed paperwork requesting that his name not appear on the ballot for the August 6 Democratic primary. The 76-year-old congressman said the newly redrawn district is “nothing like the 9th district that I’ve represented,” signaling that the GOP’s recent redistricting push had effectively ended his path to reelection.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Democrat Rep Steve Cohen ends reelection bid following the passing of Tennessee’s new Congressional map which eliminated his district <a href="https://t.co/9ZVAsPoB73">pic.twitter.com/9ZVAsPoB73</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2055314998759694738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
The Tennessee legislature, controlled by Republicans, approved a new congressional map last week that dramatically altered the longtime Democratic stronghold centered in Memphis. The new 9th District stretches beyond Memphis into more rural areas of southern Tennessee, and transforms what had been a majority-black Democratic seat into one that is expected to go to the Republicans in November. The new district would&#8217;ve been a <a href="https://x.com/VoteHub/status/2055308184873480499">Trump +21</a> in the 2024 election.
Cohen, Tennessee’s only Democrat in Congress, called the decision the most difficult moment of his political career. He said he considered running in one of the new districts but ultimately decided against it, arguing that the redrawn lines erased the constituency he had represented for nearly 20 years. A fourth-generation Memphis resident, Cohen had long been a fixture in city politics before coming to Congress, and his exit marks a major generational shift for Democrats in west Tennessee, who now face an uphill battle to hold a seat that was once considered safely theirs.
His departure opens up a crowded Democratic primary. Still running for the nomination are Justin Pearson, the left-wing state lawmaker who rose to national prominence after his expulsion and reinstatement fight in the state House; M. LaTroy Alexandria-Williams; and community organizer DeVante Hill, who has been associated with Black Lives Matter organizing efforts in Memphis.
On the Republican side, Charlotte Bergmann and Kevin Young are competing in the GOP primary as Republicans eye a rare pickup opportunity in a district Democrats have held for decades. The reshaped district could become one of the clearest examples yet of how aggressive mid-decade redistricting is already reshuffling the 2026 House map, particularly in states where lawmakers moved quickly after recent court rulings opened the door to redrawing seats previously protected under Voting Rights Act precedent.
Friday is the final day for candidates to file for the race, with the deadline extended due to the redistricting overhaul.

US Representative Steve Cohen

10-Term Dem Incumbent Won’t Even Run For Office After Redistricting

Congress

Democrats

Redistricting

Republicans

Steve Cohen

U.S. House of Representatives

The leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives punished Democrat lawmakers for protesting during debate over an electoral map that would eliminate the state&#8217;s lone Democrat congressional seat. 
House Speaker Cameron Sexton sent letters to Democrats on Tuesday, kicking them out of their committees for their behavior during debates on redrawing congressional maps to split Memphis into three Republican-favorable electoral districts. During debate on the House floor, Democrat lawmakers broke decorum and rules of order as leftist activists flooded the state Capitol building in Nashville to protest.
“Due to actions taken by members of the Democratic Caucus during the Second Extraordinary Session of the 114th General Assembly aimed at disrupting the democratic and legislative process and creating disorder on the House floor &#8230;,” Sexton <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/2054313399278793023/photo/1">wrote</a> in a letter to Democrat House Leader Karen Camper. “Members of the Democratic House Committee will receive individual letters removing them from all standing committees and subcommittees of the House.”
Sexton said that Democrat lawmakers interlocked arms together “in the well of the House Floor,” blocked aisles, used “prohibited props and noisemakers,” and instigated and encouraged “disruptions of the legislative process in coordination with paid protesters and attendees in the gallery, including the distribution of earplugs to a member of your caucus.”
Protesters flooded the state Capitol building with noise makers, and the House gallery had to be cleared as activists disrupted floor proceedings. In one confrontation, Rep. Justin Pearson had a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrat-shoves-state-trooper-screams-in-his-face-as-redistricting-protest-turns-ugly?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Democrat+Shoves+State+Trooper%2C+Screams+In+His+Face+As+Redistricting+Protest+Turns+Ugly">meltdown</a> in front of a state trooper.
“Move the f*ck back!” Pearson shouted as he stared down the law enforcement officer.
The state trooper backed away and held his arms in the air as Pearson continued to berate him and call him “boy.”
“What the f*ck is wrong with you?” Pearson screamed. “What the f*ck is wrong with you? You stupid motherf*cker!”
Democrat Rep. Justin Jones, a lawmaker with a history of leftist activism, claimed the removal was based on racism. He said the action was based on his protests against a “white supremacist agenda.” 
“Just as my white Republican colleagues chose racial retaliation against Tennessee’s black voters, the Speaker of the House is now choosing retaliation against a black lawmaker for standing up against their Jim Crow racial gerrymander,” he <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYQRDh_Eo83/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=86c0c7ca-de44-407e-b131-40f8a969925e">posted</a> on Instagram. 
Jones was previously kicked out of the legislature for participating in a protest from the House floor in favor of gun control. 
Ultimately, Governor Bill Lee signed a new election map into law that is expected to eliminate Tennessee’s lone Democrat held congressional seat. The move came after Lee called a special session to reevaluate the maps after the Supreme Court ruled that states did not have to maintain majority-black districts.

Tennessee Governor Signs Trump-Backed Redistricting Plan

Democrats Punished For Desperate Tantrums During Failed Redistricting Fight

Democrats Punished For Antics During Failed Fight To Stop Redistricting

2026 election

U.S. Politics

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the reigning queen of the confidently incorrect, recently took her traveling circus of ignorance to the University of Chicago, where she somberly warned that GOP redistricting would &#8220;wipe out every black representative on the map&#8221; in Tennessee — a state that, in reality, has zero black representatives in Congress.
It takes a special kind of &#8220;Economics Guru&#8221; to mourn the extinction of something that doesn&#8217;t exist, but for AOC, the facts have always been a secondary concern to the &#8220;vibes&#8221; of radical grievance.
“When you’re watching states like Tennessee, watching wipe out every black representative on the map in these states, we have an obligation as Americans to stand with black Americans and communities whose representation is being disenfranchised,” Ocasio-Cortez pontificated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
AOC on the new Tennessee Congressional map which would eliminate the last Democrat seat: 
“States like Tennessee want to wipe out every Black Representative”
The current Democrat Rep is a White guy and his Republican opponent is a Black woman.
Can’t make this up <a href="https://t.co/ZDWojmaHCC">pic.twitter.com/ZDWojmaHCC</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2053901252547760342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The deep-blue district wiped out by Tennessee&#8217;s redistricting has been represented by Democrat Steve Cohen for nearly 20 years.
Speaking at the Institute of Politics — founded by Obama advisor David Axelrod — Ocasio-Cortez didn’t stop at hallucinating Tennessee’s congressional delegation. She pivoted to a historical rewrite that would make a Soviet propagandist blush, asserting that the American Revolution was actually a war against the &#8220;billionaires of their time.&#8221;
The reality, of course, is that the Revolution was bankrolled by the wealthiest men in the colonies — men like John Hancock and Robert Morris. Morris worked in tandem with Chaim Solomon, a Polish-born Jewish-American who went bankrupt financing the Continental Army. They didn’t fight to overthrow wealth but used their wealth to secure liberty. Unlike the failed, blood-soaked revolutions of France or Russia — fueled by the exact brand of class envy AOC propagates — the American founding wasn&#8217;t predicated on pillaging the successful.
But this brand of &#8220;oatmeal for brains&#8221; logic is AOC’s stock-in-trade. Her greatest hits of stupidity include:
<ul>
<li data-path-to-node="4,0,0">The Amazon Blunder: She famously bragged about &#8220;saving&#8221; New York $3 billion by chasing Amazon out of Queens, fundamentally failing to understand that a tax break isn’t a bag of cash sitting in a vault. You can&#8217;t &#8220;spend&#8221; money that a company never brings to the city.</li>
<li data-path-to-node="4,1,0">The Billionaire Myth: On a recent podcast with Ilana Glazer, she claimed it is impossible to &#8220;earn&#8221; a billion dollars, suggesting wealth only comes from &#8220;breaking rules.&#8221; Apparently, inventing a product that millions of people value is just &#8220;market power&#8221; and &#8220;abuse.&#8221;</li>
<li data-path-to-node="4,2,0">Gun Law Illiteracy: She once told Chris Cuomo that &#8220;guns are not allowed in the District of Columbia,&#8221; a statement that came as a shock to the thousands of D.C. residents with legal permits and the members of Congress who, by law, are allowed to keep firearms in their offices.</li>
</ul>
Whether she is shrieking about &#8220;wage theft&#8221; (which she defines as a company not paying what she thinks they should) or claiming the unemployment rate is low because everyone has two jobs, Ocasio-Cortez remains the ultimate proof that in the modern Democratic Party, historical literacy and basic math are entirely optional.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

AOC Hallucinates Non-Existent Black Democrat Rep In Tennessee

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Democrat

The nationwide battle for congressional seats shifted dramatically Friday after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the state&#8217;s Democrat-favored congressional map, even as Republican-led states across the South charge ahead to redraw their own.
The Virginia ruling undercuts what Democrats had expected to be a 10-1 advantage in the state&#8217;s House delegation. Instead, the map reverts to a narrower 6-5 Democrat edge that was in place before the April special election, giving Republicans a clearer path to compete. 
The decision comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week striking down requirements for black-majority districts in Southern states, prompting a wave of redistricting efforts in Republican-led states. 
Florida and Tennessee have already approved new maps, with more red states likely to follow. 
Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brutal-blow-for-democrats-in-red-state-sparks-leftist-outrage?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Brutal+Blow+For+Democrats+In+Red+State+Sparks+Leftist+Outrage">approved</a> a congressional map expected to hand Republicans control of all nine of the Volunteer State’s congressional districts come November. The map, signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, spreads out the heavily Democratic population centers in Memphis and Nashville across multiple Republican-favorable districts. 
The new map is likely to eliminate Tennessee’s lone Democratic seat, currently held by Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. 
In Florida, lawmakers led by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-passes-new-maps-that-could-threaten-multiple-democratic-seats">passed</a> new district lines projected to give Republicans four additional House seats. The changes target Democratic-leaning areas in Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida, aiming to flip those districts to Republican control.
Alabama could be next. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would produce a congressional map favoring Republicans 6-1, shifting one seat away from Democrats. 
Prior to the Supreme Court decision last week, Alabama was forced to maintain one majority-black district and a second with a near-majority black population under an interpretation of the Voting Rights Act that has now been ruled an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. 
Lawmakers in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi are also reviewing potential redistricting plans that could further shift even more seats to Republicans. 
President Donald Trump called on states to redraw maps after the Supreme Court decision last week. 
“We cannot allow there to be an Election that is conducted unconstitutionally simply for the ‘convenience’ of State Legislatures,” Trump said Sunday. “If they have to vote twice, so be it. We should demand that State Legislatures do what the Supreme Court says must be done. That is more important than administrative convenience. The byproduct is that the Republicans will receive more than 20 House Seats in the upcoming Midterms.”

Virginia Ruling Reshapes Redistricting Battle For House Control

2026 elections

Florida

Virginia

A viral AI-generated <a href="https://x.com/TheBabylonBee/status/2049587022629867800">video</a> recently put out by the Babylon Bee imagines a Democrat-free version of America. Families gather around a dinner table, people walk down the clean, “vagrant-free” streets of San Francisco, children marvel at a rainbow that’s “a symbol of God’s promise and nothing else.” 
And, obviously, gun owners wander around aimlessly because there are no criminals left to shoot. 
We are nowhere near this utopian vision, but there are certain states in the union creeping ever closer. Namely, the great state of Tennessee. 
This week, Tennessee Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brutal-blow-for-democrats-in-red-state-sparks-leftist-outrage?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Brutal+Blow+For+Democrats+In+Red+State+Sparks+Leftist+Outrage">voted to approve</a> new congressional maps that will likely wipe out the Democrats’ only U.S. House seat in the state, and Republican Governor Bill Lee signed the bill into law shortly after the vote. The special session in Tennessee’s capital was quickly organized after the Supreme Court ruled that certain majority-black districts put in place by the Voting Rights Act amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.
Simply put, the tiny blue blip in Tennessee has been wiped away, making the state completely, blissfully, red. This change reflects the reality of a state Trump won solidly in 2024. A refuge that blue state Democrats keep moving to.
Low taxes. Functional cities. Country music. SEC football. People who still wave at each other in parking lots. And yes, a state government that takes action when it needs to rather than allowing their political opponents to intimidate them into submission.
Not every state can be Tennessee, but every citizen can dream of a future reality where it’s possible. Show your support for the vision with the one and only <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/make-america-tennessee-hat">Make America Tennessee hat</a>, available now for every citizen who believes in that distant dream. 
It’s not a catchphrase – it’s a call to action. A declaration that the rest of America should take notes and follow suit. Offered in crisp white or forest camo, with a structured build, this hat includes blaze orange lettering that demands attention. 
As the leftists melt down over “Jim Crow 2.0,” wear the hat. As they rage that election rigging is their God-given right, wear the hat. On your way to the range, wear the hat. No matter what state you live in right now, or how blue it looks, wear the hat. 
It’s time to make one thing clear: You stand with Tennessee. You stand for sanity. You stand for America.
Now is the time to finally MAKE AMERICA TENNESSEE.
<a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/make-america-tennessee-hat"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1091931 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/MakeAmericaTNHat-DistrictMap-TNFlag-4x5-1-461x576.jpg" alt="" width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/MakeAmericaTNHat-DistrictMap-TNFlag-4x5-1-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/MakeAmericaTNHat-DistrictMap-TNFlag-4x5-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/MakeAmericaTNHat-DistrictMap-TNFlag-4x5-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/MakeAmericaTNHat-DistrictMap-TNFlag-4x5-1.jpg 1230w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" /></a>

America’s Conservative Bastion Has Democrats Seeing Red

Daily Wire Shop

A Tennessee Democrat pushed a state trooper and screamed in his face as tempers flared when lawmakers gathered to approve new Republican-backed congressional maps on Thursday.
Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson (D), known for his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/there-is-nothing-off-the-table-tennessee-dem-says-anything-goes-in-fight-against-fascist-gop">tirades</a> against the state&#8217;s conservative majority and his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fake-southern-preacher-videos-show-expelled-tennessee-lawmakers-oratorical-transformation">shapeshifting personality</a>, got into a confrontation with state troopers who were attempting to secure the state capitol as leftist protesters converged on the area. In a video captured by ABC&#8217;s Nashville affiliate WKRN, state troopers appeared to be attempting to detain a man when Pearson stepped in and shoved the trooper&#8217;s arm away.
&#8220;Move the f*ck back!&#8221; Pearson shouted as he stared down the law enforcement officer.
The state trooper backed away and held his arms in the air as Pearson continued to berate him and call him &#8220;boy.&#8221;
&#8220;What the f*ck is wrong with you?&#8221; Pearson screamed. &#8220;What the f*ck is wrong with you? You stupid motherf*cker!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Warning: explicit language
Rep. Pearson came to the gallery as troopers appeared to arrest a demonstrator. There’s a heated exchange. <a href="https://t.co/Dq76zVrTtW">pic.twitter.com/Dq76zVrTtW</a>
— Tori Gessner (@ToriGessnerTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ToriGessnerTV/status/2052404638410735643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pearson&#8217;s meltdown occurred just before Tennessee Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brutal-blow-for-democrats-in-red-state-sparks-leftist-outrage?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Brutal+Blow+For+Democrats+In+Red+State+Sparks+Leftist+Outrage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> on Thursday to approve new congressional maps that will likely wipe out the Democrats&#8217; only U.S. House seat in the state. Republican Governor Bill Lee signed the bill into law shortly after the vote. The special session in Tennessee&#8217;s capital was quickly organized after the Supreme Court ruled that certain majority-black districts put in place by the Voting Rights Act amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.
During the special session, hundreds of protesters entered the state capitol and claimed that state Republicans were enacting &#8220;Jim Crow 2.0&#8221; and &#8220;Modern Apartheid.&#8221; Another video captured by WKRN showed leftist protesters refusing to leave the Capitol building after state troopers began clearing the gallery.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Some protestors are now refusing to leave and chanting in the gallery. <a href="https://t.co/uYtLGiltOq">pic.twitter.com/uYtLGiltOq</a>
— Tori Gessner (@ToriGessnerTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ToriGessnerTV/status/2052401991725306142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Steve Cohen, who currently serves the lone Democratic district in Tennessee that has been upended by the new map, <a href="https://x.com/RepCohen/status/2052481665080213523">accused</a> Republicans of &#8220;enforc[ing] a racial gerrymander of Memphis.&#8221;
&#8220;Trump knows he HAS TO rig the game to keep his majority in November. And the TN GOP was willing to go along with it. It’s shameful. Next stop is the courts,&#8221; Cohen added.
Republican state leaders celebrated the vote as the party will likely boast a 9-0 advantage in Tennessee&#8217;s Congressional delegation come November.
“It’s a great day for Tennessee! Thank you to President [Donald Trump] for leading the charge, Governor [Bill Lee], and to the legislators who worked quickly and diligently to make this possible,” Blackburn posted on X. “This is how we cement President Trump’s agenda and usher in America’s Golden Age here in Tennessee, and how we become America’s conservative leader.”
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Justin Pearson

WATCH: Democrat Shoves State Trooper, Screams In His Face As Redistricting Protest Turns Ugly

Tennessee Republicans approved new congressional maps Thursday that are expected to eliminate the state’s last Democratic seat, triggering protests from activists and outrage from leftists inside the state capitol. 
Tennessee’s current congressional delegation features eight Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. The plan restructures Memphis by splitting it into three Republican-leaning districts, a move that would likely unseat Cohen. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the map into law shortly after it passed. 
The maps were passed during a special session called by Lee after the Supreme Court ruled that certain majority-black districts put in place by the Voting Rights Act amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. After that decision, Tennessee joined other Southern states in redrawing maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. 
During the special session, hundreds of leftist activists descended upon the Capitol in Nashville, holding up signs like &#8220;Black Voters Matter,&#8221; &#8220;Say No To Jim Crow 2.0,&#8221; and &#8220;Modern Apartheid.&#8221;
Republicans framed the new maps as a reflection of Tennessee&#8217;s political reality. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) celebrated the move as a step toward advancing President Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda and strengthening conservative leadership in the state.
“It’s a great day for Tennessee! Thank you to President [Donald Trump] for leading the charge, Governor [Bill Lee], and to the legislators who worked quickly and diligently to make this possible,” Blackburn posted on X. “This is how we cement President Trump’s agenda and usher in America’s Golden Age here in Tennessee, and how we become America&#8217;s conservative leader.”
State Rep. Jason Zachary, a Republican, called the maps &#8220;historic,&#8221; noting that they could result in a fully Republican congressional delegation alongside the state&#8217;s two GOP senators.
“For the first time in Tennessee’s history, we will have 9 Republican Congressmen and 2 Republican Senators representing our great state at the nation’s Capitol,” said Zachary. “This represents our state’s strong conservative principles and TN values.”
Rep. Cohen, a white man who has represented Memphis for nearly two decades, called the new map “insane.” 
“The GOP&#8217;s newly proposed TN Congressional maps would have people in Shelby County all the way to Williamson County—200+ miles apart—being &#8220;represented&#8221; by the same Congressman,” he said Wednesday. “It&#8217;s a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the black community&#8217;s and our entire city&#8217;s voice.”

Trump Says Tennessee To Redraw District Maps To Boost GOP

Brutal Blow For Democrats In Red State Sparks Leftist Outrage

Bill Lee

Elections

Tennessee Republican lawmakers released new election maps Wednesday that would wipe out the last Democratic congressional seat. 
The map release from the GOP leadership in the state House and Senate comes on the second day of a special session called by Governor Bill Lee to redraw congressional maps. The maps would split up Memphis, currently the only area represented by a Democrat in Congress, into three favorable Republican districts. 
Plans to redraw the maps followed last week&#8217;s Supreme Court decision striking down a Louisiana majority-black congressional district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander — a ruling that weakened Voting Rights Act regulations and prompted President Donald Trump to call on Republican states to respond accordingly.
“The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said Wednesday, sharing an image of the proposed map. “The decision indicated states can redistrict based off partisan politics. Today, Tennessee joins other red and blue states in redrawing their congressional maps.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind. The decision indicated states can redistrict based off partisan politics. Today, Tennessee joins other red and blue states in redrawing their congressional maps. <a href="https://twitter.com/ltgovmcnally?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ltgovmcnally</a> <a href="https://t.co/lOeBf5tGMF">pic.twitter.com/lOeBf5tGMF</a>
— Speaker Cameron Sexton (@CSexton25) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSexton25/status/2052025699146310048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Tennessee&#8217;s current congressional delegation features eight Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. 
In addition to splitting the heavily Democrat Memphis area into three larger Republican districts, the map divides up Democrat-leaning Davidson County, where Nashville is located, into multiple larger GOP districts. 
“Tennessee is a conservative state and our congressional delegation should reflect that,” GOP State Sen. John Stevens said on Wednesday. “This bill ensures it does.”
The proposed map is expected to advance through committee today and go to both the state House and Senate for approval on Wednesday. 
Hundreds of leftist activists from around the state converged at the state capitol building on the first day of the special session to protest the redistricting push. Protesters held signs like “Protect Black Votes” and “No Jim Crow.” 
Cohen, a white man who has represented the Memphis area for nearly two decades, called the plans to redistrict racist. 
&#8220;This is insane. The GOP&#8217;s newly proposed TN Congressional maps would have people in Shelby County all the way to Williamson County — 200+ miles apart — being &#8216;represented&#8217; by the same Congressman,&#8221; Cohen said Wednesday. &#8220;It&#8217;s a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the black community&#8217;s and our entire city&#8217;s voice.&#8221;
Prominent state GOP officials immediately called for the congressional maps to be redrawn after the Supreme Court decision. 
“I urge our state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. It&#8217;s essential to cement [Trump’s] agenda and the Golden Age of America,” Senator Marsha Blackburn said shortly after the decision was released. “I&#8217;ve vowed to keep Tennessee a red state, and as Governor, I&#8217;ll do everything I can to make this map a reality.”

Red State Charges Ahead With Plan To Erase Final Dem Seat

Politics

On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court sided with fairness and the rule of law in its opinion in Louisiana v. Callais, which returned the Voting Rights Act to its original intent: to protect against intentional racial discrimination. This decision doesn’t discriminate; it says we are all Americans. It restores equal protection under the law, which should be easy for all of us to celebrate. The court sided with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision for a colorblind society and said that racial preferencing doesn’t belong in our elections, just as it doesn’t belong in college admissions.
Following the ruling, I immediately called for our Tennessee state legislature to reconvene as soon as possible to redraw our map — this should yield another conservative seat. From hosting campaign schools to supporting strong conservatives up and down the ballot, I&#8217;ve worked to keep Tennessee a red state, and now we have an unprecedented opportunity to ensure Tennessee has nine solid Republican congressional seats by revisiting the state’s Ninth Congressional District, home to the solidly Democratic area of Memphis.
As governor, I&#8217;ll work tirelessly to make this map a reality, but the fact of the matter is, we can’t wait that long. The legislature must reconvene as soon as possible to pass a new map for it to be in effect for this year’s elections.
I was encouraged when President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116494706928688681">posted on Truth Social</a>: “I had a very good conversation with Governor Bill Lee, of Tennessee, this morning, wherein he stated that he would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw in the Congressional Maps of the Great State of Tennessee. Likewise, all of the other Political Representatives of Tennessee have promised to do so.”
Since the ruling, liberals have bemoaned that redrawing the lines would create a “lack of representation,” but it’s funny, I’ve never heard a liberal bemoan the lack of conservative representation in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Hawaii, or Delaware.
There is no doubt: Tennessee is a conservative state — we don’t have a state income tax, we don’t allow illegals to run our state, we fight to protect faith, family, freedom, hope, and opportunity, and I want to keep it that way. In fact, that’s why I’m running for governor. We have the potential to be America’s conservative leader. But this is bigger than the Volunteer State; the trajectory of our country is at risk.
If we are to make Tennessee America’s true conservative leader, this is where it begins.
As Donald Trump himself said, this will &#8220;help Save our Country from the Radical Left Democrats, and their Country destroying Policies of High Tax, Open Borders, Transgender Mutilization[sic], Defunding the Police, ICE, and Border Patrol, No Voter ID, Soft on Crime, and so much more.”
Immediately passing a new, 9-0 map is essential to cementing President Trump’s America First agenda and America’s Golden Age. I will do everything I can to support the legislators who take up this mantle and help us secure the future of our state and of our great nation.
***
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is the state’s senior senator. She is also running for governor.

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Marsha Blackburn: Redraw Tennessee’s Lines Now

DW Opinion

Marsha Blackburn

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