After two Tennessee State Representatives were expelled for leading an unruly mob during a riot at the state Capitol, Vice President Kamala Harris Friday visited Nashville to meet with the expelled lawmakers.
Video shows Harris hugging former State Reps. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), along with State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knox County), who narrowly escaped expulsion by one vote.
TONIGHT IN NASHVILLE: @VP Kamala Harris hugging the #TennesseeThree at Fisk. pic.twitter.com/Hu1sy0zj0n
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) April 8, 2023
Harris arrived in Tennessee at about 4:30 p.m. local time on Friday afternoon.
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Nashville with plans to meet with the three lawmakers who battled for their seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives this week. Updates: https://t.co/we5dRT2QFj pic.twitter.com/nAAqbpXIEG
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) April 7, 2023
She met the trio at Fisk University, where she also offered remarks about gun control.
During the speech, Harris blamed guns for killing six people at The Covenant School in Nashville nearly two weeks ago.
The shooting was carried out by 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who identified as transgender and was a former student at the school.
Hale’s mass killing led to the riots for which Jones and Pearson were expelled.
“Three educators and three babies – nine years old – were murdered senseless due to gun violence,” said Harris. “[The state representatives] chose to lead and say ‘a Democracy allows for places where the peoples’ voices will be heard and honored and respected.’ And they understood the importance of standing – these three – and saying ‘the peoples’ voices will not be silenced. To say that a Democracy hears the cries, hears the pleas, heres the demands of its people.”
Nashville🗞️: Kamala Harris blames the Covenant School Shooting on “gun violence”
“They were murdered ,senselessly, due to gun violence”.
This is despite the fact this attack was a targeted hate crime by a violent Trans person against the Christian community and was not a… pic.twitter.com/s9rrUrXEye
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 7, 2023
She also accused Republicans of silencing the now-expelled lawmakers.
“Your voices are part of the conscience of our country. When we need in these moments in time people who have something in them that is about empathy, about care, about a sense of responsibility for their brother and sister,” Harris said. “We need you all.”
“We will not be defeated, we will not be deterred, we will not throw up our hands when it’s time to roll up our sleeves,” she concluded.
Harris did not meet with the families of the victims of the shooting.
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting but have been promising for weeks to release the shooter’s manifesto.
– – –
Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Kamala Harris with Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville)” by Kamala Harris.
I agree Joe, she is very inept and clearly incapable of serving as Vice President. In her 2 + years in office she has accomplished absolutely nothing.
What a disgusting piece she is.