Tennessee Democrats expelled by GOP over protests win back their seats
NBCMAY 2023
The Tennessee GOP's expulsion vote certainly did backfire, as "the Justins" now have even more influence than ever before. What did they think would happen after they kicked out the two officeholders with enough charisma and popularity to bring their constituents down to the statehouse for a peaceful demonstration? Voters are tired of seeing people shot dead due to lax gun laws and an authoritarian-leaning GOP, so the Justin movement is just beginning.
First and foremost, the expulsion was not racist, as Gloria Johnson never screamed on the House floor, let alone into a bullhorn, as her colleagues did. The Tennessee House has a code of conduct for a reason — to prevent mobs like the one summoned by Jones and Pearson from disrupting the business of lawmakers. Whether these democrats regained their seats or not, the GOP should be proud that it stood up to the woke, unruly mob.