In a striking demonstration of electoral anxiety, Republicans have poured millions into a special election within a gerrymandered Tennessee district, a region that Donald Trump previously secured with a commanding 22-point lead in 2024.
The stakes appear so high that Speaker Mike Johnson himself took to the stage to rally support for Republican candidate Matt Van Epps against Democratic challenger Aftyn Behn.
Polling data paints a surprising picture: Democrats are just two points shy of claiming a potential upset victory, a possibility that seems to have rattled the GOP.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this electoral contest is that Trump, who once dominated the district, currently holds a net negative approval rating of -2. This newfound discontent is particularly noteworthy given his previous 22-point victory margin just a year ago.
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Despite this alarming trend, Republicans continue to treat Trump as a valuable asset, oblivious to the reality that he may now be more of a liability, even in traditionally red territories.
In an unexpected twist, Trump opted for a phone call rather than a personal appearance to energize the base, leading to a rather chaotic moment when he was placed on speakerphone by Johnson.
During this call, Trump stated:
“Remember, he’s got a majority of three, a majority of three, and there aren’t many people can do that, but we, we have to win this. Yes, we’ve gotten you the largest tax cuts in history and the new bill, the great big, beautiful bill kicks in, as you know, on January 1st, hasn’t even kicked in yet.”
“And then you have no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime. If you borrow money to buy a car, you get a deduction. That’s never happened before. All these things kick in on January 1st. A lot of people don’t know. They said, oh, they already kicked in. I said, no, it doesn’t start until January 1st.”
“So that was the first date. I just want to thank everybody. I love Tennessee, one of my all-time favorite places. Tennessee, I guess, loves me because we won by the biggest margins anybody’s ever won by, so that’s cool. But if you can go Matt Van Epps, he’s a winner. He’s gonna be great. Don’t let this stuff for you.”
“The Democrats are spending a fortune and we don’t want people that wanna raise your taxes. She wants to raise your taxes on top of everything else. But 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?”
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