President Donald Trump on Monday called into a rally for Matt Van Epps, a Tennessee Republican running in a special election for the House, telling supporters that "the whole world is watching" ahead of Tuesday's vote.
Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, is facing Democrat state Rep. Aftyn Behn in the race for the 7th Congressional District.
The seat was vacated after Rep. Mark Green resigned this year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appeared with Van Epps at the rally in Franklin, Tennessee, where he held a phone to a microphone so the crowd could hear Trump's remarks.
"The whole world is watching Tennessee right now, and they are watching the district," Trump said. "It has got to show that the Republican Party is stronger than it has ever been. We have a bigger, stronger party than we have ever had. We have more members of the Republican Party than we have ever had, and we love Tennessee."
Trump also attacked Behn, telling the audience that she "said two things above all else that bothered me. Number one, she hates Christianity. Number two, she hates country music. How the hell can you elect a person like that?"
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who attended the event, pointed to recent polling that shows a narrow contest between Van Epps and Behn.
A survey released last week showed Van Epps at 48% and Behn at 46%.
"Folks, we are one flu season away from losing the majority," Burchett said. "This is our chance to tell America we have had enough of this far-left craziness and everything that this woman represents."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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