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President Donald Trump In a Sunday post, Truth Social urged Tennesseans to vote for Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate in the special election for the Volunteer State's 7th Congressional District.
Just two days before the Dec. 2 election, Trump urged “all the American Patriots in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District who have not yet voted, please GO OUT AND VOTE.”
The president said Van Epps' Democratic opponent, state Rep. Aftin Ben, “hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants open borders, transgender people for everyone, men in women's sports and openly despises country music.”
“She said it all exactly and without question – IT'S RECORDED!” Trump stated. “Don't take it this race self-evident.”
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President Donald Trump urged Tennessee voters to support Matt Van Epps in the Dec. 2 special election, attacking Democratic Rep. Aftin Behn. (Getty Images; Imagn Images)
“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 “full and complete support” and would “NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Van Epps, a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard and a former Army helicopter pilot, was formally endorsed by Trump earlier this year and called his endorsement an “incredible honor.”
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Democratic congressional candidate State Rep. Aftin Ben, a Nashville Democrat, attends a campaign event during the special election in the 7th District on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Nashville. (Photo by George Walker IV/AP)
Trump's message comes as Behn has gained national attention for past comments ranging from anti-police rhetoric to dislike of country music and Nashville's drinking culture.
The Democrat was also once a frequent supporter of defunding the police, even proposing to defund the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Last week Ben was asked clarify her previous comments during an episode of MS NOW's “The Weekend.”
“You wrote several tweets in 2020 that have since been deleted that were very critical of the police… 2020 has obviously been a very stressful year. Do you still support these comments? If not, is there anything you want to clarify?” asked host Catherine Rampell.
7th Congressional District candidate Aftin Ben speaks at a political forum Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Dixon, Tennessee. (Photo by George Walker IV/AP)
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“I’m not going to debate cable news talking points, but I will say that, as you know, our communities need solutions,” Ben responded. “We need local people solving local problems with local solutions. And this is not the federal or state government abuse that we are dealing with in Nashville and our cities throughout the state of Tennessee.”
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser, Alec Schemmel and Hannah Panrek contributed to this report.
