U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) held a “Rapid Response Town Hall” over the weekend in Nashville with Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) as the Democratic Party plans to target the Volunteer State’s 5th and 7th Congressional Districts in the upcoming election cycle.
The event, which took place at the Cane Ridge High School auditorium in Antioch last week, saw Omar and Jones denounce the Trump administration’s deportations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticize the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and claim U.S. leaders are partaking in “Islamophobia.”
Packed auditorium today with my sister @IlhanMN in Antioch, with most folks sharing this was their first town hall!
The Congressman for this district, Andy Ogles, is afraid of talking to his constituents but the people will not be ignored.
This is what democracy looks like! pic.twitter.com/93pb6SYYrx
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) July 13, 2025
During the town hall, Omar said the ICE arrests and deportations of illegal aliens under the current administration resemble “war.”
Nashville-based author Alyssa Rosenheck called the event a “stage for radicalism, dressed up as community empowerment.”
Rosenhack pointed out how a 17-year-old student of the private University School of Nashville read a poem during the town hall called “The Empire Eats Itself,” which Rosenhack described as “alarming” and “the most disturbing moment” of the event.
“A 17-year-old student from USN – a $32,000-a-year private school – took the mic and read a poem that ended with this line: “This is what democracy looks like? No. This is what grief looks like when it’s forced to wear the red, white, and blue.” It got the loudest applause of the night,” Rosenhack wrote in a social media post.
“That wasn’t ‘grief.’ It was contempt – learned in elite classrooms, not lived in the real world. The 17 year old is not old enough to vote. She’s never known war. Never lived without rights. Never seen real oppression. She’s bankrolled by parents and shielded by the very freedoms she’s been taught in school to resent,” Rosenhack added.
Antioch, which is part of Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), is one of the areas the Democratic Party plans to target for competition during the upcoming election cycle, according to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin.
Martin told the Nashville Banner that part of the DNC’s new strategy under his leadership will be to “redirect campaign money and resources to the south over the next decade,” specifically in districts that are “15 percent or less Republican.”
“We can’t keep ignoring states like Tennessee,” Martin told the outlet. “If we do, we’re going to be on the wrong side of things.”
In addition to the 5th District, Martin said the DNC is viewing the upcoming special election for the 7th District to fill Congressman Mark Green’s (R-TN-07) seat as an opportunity for the party to gain some more ground in the Volunteer State.
“People are deeply frustrated with what they’re seeing out of Washington D.C., and special elections, especially right now, are a referendum on the party in power,” Martin said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Ilhan Omar” by Justin Jones.
NO WAY IN HELL will the Tennesseans fall fir the lies of Islam.
Wake Up Call to people who want to escape the creeping Communism in Tennessee.
Ilhan Omar is supported by the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic Organization, which will hopefully soon be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. They hate Americans, esp Christians & Jews ( the Infidels). Their Kuran instructs them that lying to infidel is encouraged in order to gain power over them. They are justified in murder of the infidel. They want Sharia Law to rule America.
DONT BE FOOLED BY THEIR LIES.
Some useful idiots like Freddie & Justin have joined the ranks.
WE FREEDOM LOVERS MUST TAKE ACTION & VOTE AGAINST THEIR TYRANNY.
THE LOCATION OF THE RADICAL MEETING WAS APPROPRIATE ( HISPANTIOCH).
IM SURE OUR COMMIE MAYOR WAS BEHIND THIS ATTEMPT TO RADICALIZE SOME NASHVILLIANS AGAINST DEMOCRACY.
I didn’t see a name mentioned as a potential Democrat candidate. I guess they’re looking for a useful idiot to sacrifice at the altar of Communism. Perhaps the 17 yr old, who has been indoctrinated by the ” Democrat Socialists of America” aka Communism aka Freddie.
The 5th District is very happy with Rep Andy Ogles. He represents & votes for the People in his District. He opposes the crazy agenda of the Left such as
OPEN BORDERS
TRANS SURGERY ON MINORS
BOYS IN GIRLS SPORTS
PORN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARIES
SANCTUARY CITIES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
These are 97/3 issues.
Tennesseans are Common Sense Voters except in a couple Very Blue areas ie Nashville & Memphis.
Conservatives in Nashville are very intimidated by the crazy LEFT, so they tend to stay in the shadows.
I hope our GOP gets busy identifying these potential voters, many of whom move here to escape the S-Hole Democrat RUN cities they escaped from.
If not registered to vote, they must get registered asap. And Vote in 2026.
It’s sometimes hard to get people out to vote in midterm elections, so an effort needs to be made to educate them on the importance of voting in the midterm.
Marxist domestic terrorist meet n’ greet. Can’t you feel the love?
Two people who are both a poor excuse of a legislator. Keep them both out of Tennessee. Delta is ready and waiting