President Trump says he will release MRI test results
President Donald Trump said he would release the results of an MRI scan at the request of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump told Tennesseans that “the whole world is watching” as Republicans try to avoid disaster in the Dec. 2 special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
On the eve of the election, President Trump called on the people of Tennessee to vote for Republican candidate Matt Van Epps against Democrat Affin Behn via the cellphone of House Speaker Mike Johnson, suddenly drawing national attention due to the unexpectedly narrow margin of victory.
Mr. Johnson stayed in Franklin, Tennessee, where he joined up with Mr. Van Epps and other top Tennessee Republicans in a final push to prevent a Democratic upset.
“Remember, he has a three-vote majority, and not many people can do that,” President Trump said on Dec. 1, referring to the speaker’s narrow Republican majority in the House. “We have to win this seat.”
Mr. Behn and Mr. Van Epps, who have hinted at the possibility of a blue wave in the 2026 midterm elections, are locked in a close race in a district where Mr. Trump led by 22 points in the 2024 presidential election. The Emerson College Poll/The Hill poll had Van Epps leading by just two points, 48% to 46%, within the poll’s margin of error.
Mr. Behn, a Democratic state representative, is a former community organizer and progressive activist. Van Epps is a military veteran who previously led the Tennessee Department of General Services. The winner will replace former Republican Congressman Mark Greene of Tennessee, who retired to take a job in the private sector.
Even if Mr. Behn doesn’t win the race, which would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago, a single-digit loss could be a big problem for Republicans.
“Matt Van Epps, he’s a winner. He’s going to be great,” Trump said, later falsely accusing Vane of hating Christianity and country music. “How on earth could you elect someone like that?” said the president.
Republicans spent the final days of the campaign spending millions on a campaign to paint Mr. Behn as a “far-left lunatic.”
President Trump said he planned to hold a teletown hall for Van Epps in the evening.
“Tomorrow morning, let’s go out and vote,” President Trump said. “Let’s win by a landslide. The whole world is watching Tennessee right now, and it’s watching your district. The whole world. This is a big vote. It’s going to show something, and it’s going to show that the Republican Party is stronger than ever.”
The Democratic National Committee pushed back against the Republican push for a special election.
“Win or lose, Republicans are forced to spend millions of dollars, commit resources and do everything they can to defend seats in districts that Trump won by 22 points,” Abhi Rahman, vice president of communications for the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement.
Contact Joey Garrison at X @joeygarrison
