Tenn. House GOP Expels Democrat Over Gun Protest

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Facts

• On Thursday, in a 72-25 vote, the GOP-led Tennessee House of Representatives expelled Democratic Rep. Justin Jones for participating in a gun reform demonstration that involved protesters entering the statehouse last week.¹
• Two other Democratic representatives – Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson – also face votes on their removal.²
• The three Democrats reportedly led the protest without approval days after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville that saw three children and three adults killed.³
• The three Democrats immediately lost their committee assignments after resolutions were filed to expel them for allegedly “knowingly and intentionally” causing “disorder and dishonor” for the House through their actions.⁴
• Prior to the House proceedings Thursday, thousands of protesters showed up, with some entering the galleries and others lining up outside. The three Democrats held hands as they walked onto the House floor.⁵
• Jones' removal — which required a two-thirds majority — is only the third in the last 157 years.³

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²USA Today, ³CNN, ⁴Daily Wire and ⁵Guardian.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Politico. By moving to silence these three Democratic members, Republicans are crushing democracy and creating a chilling effect on future debates. Their disdain for dissent is matched by their hypocrisy, as Republicans in the past couldn’t be bothered to expel a member who was accused of sexual assault, but now they’re trying to get rid of their political opponents over an act of free speech — a right they are quick to defend when convenient.
• Republican narrative, as provided by American Thinker. Democrats are free to criticize the decision, but if the riotous acts of these three members had been committed by Republicans, they would’ve called it an insurrection — as they did for the Jan. 6 riots — and would have gone beyond just trying to expel them. If Democrats are going to weaponize parts of the government to attack Republicans, they must be prepared to abide by the same standards.

Predictions