Democrat State Representative Aftyn Behn, who claims to be the leading Democratic candidate for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District Special Election, appeared on CNN’s NewsNight with liberal host Abby Phillip Thursday night.
Behn has won two consecutive straw polls in recent weeks — earning over 53% of the vote in a joint-county poll following a forum sponsored by the Dickson County Democrats, Montgomery County Democrats, and Houston County Democrats, and over 78% in the East Nashtivists straw poll following a Democratic primary forum Wednesday night in East Nashville.
Behn says: “This election is already receiving nationwide attention because it’s the first chance for voters to weigh in since Republicans in Washington passed their “Big, Bad Bill” that exploded the deficit and cut healthcare for millions to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The decisions made in Washington aren’t abstract for Tennesseans — they show up in higher local property taxes, closed hospitals, and underfunded public schools. I’m running for Congress to make life more affordable for working families and to ensure our federal government works for the people, not corporate donors. I want to make Tennessee proud by fighting for our values, our communities, and our future in Washington.”
Behn aggressively defended the “rights” of illegal aliens during the broadcast. The panel on CNN’s “NewsNight with Abby Phillip” erupted after a self-proclaimed “MAGA lefty” defended federal agents patrolling outside of the California governor’s press event on Thursday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, held a press conference where he announced the state legislature would enter a special session to gerrymander new election maps. The move came in response to Texas Republicans working to redraw their election maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Border Patrol agents were seen allegedly conducting immigration checks outside of the event.
Batya Ungar-Sargon, a columnist for The Free Press and a self-described “MAGA lefty,” defended the agents being present. She said they were doing what a majority of voters in America want them to do.
Her comments sparked a heated response from Behn. “They didn’t vote for this!” an angry Behn shouted.
Behn and fellow panelist Terry Moran argued that the process the Trump administration is using with ICE deportations is illegal because it does not give people deported from the country due process. Actually, many of those being deported, if not most, have been convicted of crimes that negate their visa status, or have previous deportation orders following judicial hearings that they have violated. In other words, those individuals have already had due process, whether they were legally entitled to it or not.
Ungar-Sargon then accused Behn and Moran of wanting to “erase the distinction between citizen and non-citizen” by providing legal protections for migrants who enter the U.S. illegally.
Behn has proudly embraced the nickname “The AOC of Tennessee”. While her pro-illegal alien, anti-Trump antics may play well in the Democrat Party primary, it remains to be seen how they will work in the general election in a largely rural conservative district. The Democrat primary is on October 7, with the special election general on December 2.
Steve Gill is Publisher of TriStar Daily and a national and international political analyst and commentator.
