With a special election looming this Tuesday, Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn faced pointed questions Sunday regarding a history of incendiary comments, including social media posts that appeared to support burning down police stations and podcast remarks expressing disdain for Nashville’s local culture.
During an appearance on CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday, host Manu Raju pressed Behn on whether she regretted the statements made prior to her legislative career. Behn consistently deflected the criticism by emphasizing a distinction between her past status as a private activist and her current role as a lawmaker.
The exchange grew tense when Raju brought up a deleted 2020 tweet where Behn wrote, “good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.” He also cited instances where she appeared to support calls to “defund the police.”
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“Do you regret posting those comments?” Raju asked.
Behn framed the comments within the context of the unrest following the murder of George Floyd. “I said that during the George Floyd moment when the entire country was demanding accountability and safer policing,” she told Raju.
She argued that her core belief remains that communities require investment in mental health and youth programs to ensure safety, but she distanced herself from the specific rhetoric she used years ago.
“I was a private citizen back then, and now I’m a lawmaker,” Behn said. When pressed further on whether the posts were a mistake, she added, “I wouldn’t post things like that now and haven’t, because I’ve definitely matured.”
Raju also highlighted a stark contrast between Behn’s bid to represent the region and her past appearances on the “Year Old GRITS” podcast, where she vented frustrations with Nashville’s tourism-heavy identity.
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“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music,” Behn said in the clip played during the broadcast.
On Sunday, Behn brushed off the significance of those complaints, characterizing them as the typical frustrations of a local resident dealing with a congested city.
“Do I roll my eyes at the bachelorette parties and the pedal taverns that are blocking my access to my house? Yeah, every Nashvillian does,” Behn said, attempting to pivot the conversation toward economic issues. “But this race has always been about something bigger. It’s about families across Middle Tennessee that are getting crushed by rising prices.”
The candidate has also faced scrutiny for a 2019 op-ed in the Tennessean in which she labeled Tennessee a “racist state” with problems that were “wild and untamed.”
Voters in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the seat left vacant following the resignation of Republican Rep. Mark Green on July 4, 2025.
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