The chair of the Tennesee House Republican caucus walked out of an interview on CNN last Thursday after he was badgered over the vote to expel two Democrat members who led a mob into the House chamber during a session to demand gun control.
State Rep. Jeremy Faison was being lectured by CNN’s Sara Sidner who defended Democrat state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson for leading the anti-gun mob into the chamber.
Sidner accused Faison of punishing not just Jones and Pearson but also the “tens of thousands of constituents” they represent and demanded to know what Faison had to say to the constituents.
Faison explained that Pearson and Jones incited the mob that disrupted the legislative session, prompting Sidner to say that the mob was already “riled up.” She said CNN reporters were on the scene and some of the people in the mob were “distraught” teachers who were “near tears” because Tennesee lawmakers were opposed to doing something about “the biggest issue at hand.” Sidler claimed that the number one cause of death for children is “gun violence.”
Pushing Sidler’s advocacy to the side, Faison said he’s sure that is what she thinks. But, he added, the legislature watched Pearson and Jones directing the crowd the way “a choir leader would.”
Faison then cut the interview short, telling Sidler that he had to go because he had a 3.5-hour drive home. He quickly added that the way Pearson and Jones were behaving both in committee and on the House floor made it impossible for the legislature to “move forward.” He then thanked CNN for having him on and walked off camera just as CNN’s Kaitlan Collins tried to ask him another question.
The Associated Press reported on Monday that Rep. Justin Jones was reinstated to the Tennessee state House by a unanimous vote from the Nashville Metropolitan Council. Jones was then sworn back into office just four days after the House voted to expel him.
Rep. Pearson will likely be reinstated during a Wednesday meeting of the Shelby County Commission, according to the Associated Press.
