Trump boasts of ‘major victory’ for Van Epps despite troubling GOP signals following tight race with ‘AOC of Tennessee’

President Donald Trump praised Republican Matt Van Epps for winning Tennessees 7th congressional district on Wednesday morning, even though the candidate fell short of expectations. Trump shared his remarks on Truth Social Tuesday evening as results came in from a district covering parts of Nashville along with suburban and rural areas.

Congratulations to Matt Van Epps on his BIG Congressional WIN in the Great State of Tennessee, Trump wrote. The Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars. Another great night for the Republican Party!!!

Despite the celebration, the victory was narrower than anticipated. Van Epps beat Democrat Aftyn Behn by roughly nine points, while Trump had previously won the district by 22 points. Polls had suggested the contest could be very close at times. House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned actively for Van Epps, participating alongside Trump in a tele-rally for the Republican candidate.

Republicans criticized Behn as a radical based on her past statements about policing and her podcast comments expressing dislike for Nashville, bachelorette parties, pedal taverns, and country music. She famously said that she hates Nashville, which is the largest city in the district, which is kind of an interesting campaign strategy, and hates country music, Johnson said. You know, it's Tennessee.

Democrats rallied behind Behn as well. Figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, and former Vice President Al Gore supported her through a tele-rally, leading MAGA supporters to dub her the AOC of Tennessee.

After the election, the Democratic National Committee warned Republicans to take notice. A memo noted that despite spending over $3 million and deploying Trump and Johnson for multiple events, Behn nearly won the race. The fact that Republicans spent millions to protect this Trump +22 district and still lost so much ground should have the GOP shaking in their boots, DNC Chairman Ken Martin said. Democrats are all gas and no brakes as we head into next year, organizing everywhere and competing in elections all across the country.

Future Republican prospects appear uncertain. A YouGov/Economist poll indicated that 45 percent of voters intend to support a generic Democrat next year, compared with 39 percent who favor a generic Republican.

Author: Benjamin Carter