Trump backs Van Epps for Tennessee’s 7th District, attacks Democrat Behn

President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Tennesseans to vote for Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate in the special election for the volunteer state’s 7th Congressional District, in an article in Truth Social.

Just two days before the Dec. 2 election, Trump urged “all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, who have not yet voted, to GET OUT AND VOTE.”

The president claimed that Van Epps’ Democratic opponent, state Rep. Aftyn Behn, “hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants open borders, transgender for everyone, men in women’s sports and openly despises country music.”

“She said all these things precisely and without doubt – IT’S ON THE TAPE!” Trump claimed. “Don’t take this Race for granted.”

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President Donald Trump urged Tennessee voters to support Matt Van Epps in the Dec. 2 special election, attacking Democratic Rep. Aftyn Behn. (Getty Images; Images Imagn)

“The radical left Democrats are spending a fortune to defeat one of the best candidates we’ve ever had, Matt Van Epps!”

Trump concluded that Van Epps had his “complete and utter approval” and “WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” »

Van Epps, a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee National Guard and former Army helicopter pilot, was formally endorsed by Trump earlier this year and called his support an “incredible honor.”

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State Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, a Democratic candidate for Congress, attends a campaign event during the special election for the Seventh District, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Nashville. (Photo George Walker IV/AP)

Trump’s message comes as Behn is gaining national attention for his past comments, ranging from anti-police rhetoric to his dislike of country music and Nashville’s drinking culture.

The Democrat was also once a strong supporter of reducing police funding, even suggesting that the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department should be defunded.

Last week, Behn was asked to clarify her previous remarks during an episode of MS NOW’s “The Weekend.”

“In 2020, you posted tweets, since deleted, that were very critical of the police… 2020 has obviously been a very busy year. Do you still stand by these comments? And if not, is there anything you would like to clarify?” » asked host Catherine Rampell.

7th U.S. Congressional District candidate Aftyn Behn speaks during a political forum Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Dickson, Tennessee. (Photo George Walker IV/AP)

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“I’m not going to engage in cable news talking points, but what I will say is, you know, our communities need solutions,” Behn responded. “We need local people to decide, to solve local problems with local solutions. And that’s not the overreach of a federal government or a state government that we’re dealing with in Nashville and in our cities in the state of Tennessee.”

Paul Steinhauser, Alec Schemmel and Hanna Panreck of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.