The Tennessee GOP’s chilling effort to expel Democrats over a gun control protest, explained
VoxNov 24, 2022
The 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.
Two other Democratic representatives – Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson – also face votes on their removal.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
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
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.