After Nashville’s horrific shooting, thousands of students demonstrated peacefully at the state Capitol to show their support for proposals to deter future tragedies.
Without skipping a beat, three Democrat lawmakers used the students as political pawns. One of them even brought a bullhorn to the House floor to use as a political stunt. On Thursday, they faced the possibility of expulsion from the Tennessee House.
However, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the three lawmakers’ political stunt… and she dismissed the attempt to expel them as an attempt to “play politics.”
One reporter, the AP’s Seung Min Kim, asked about public safety and the lawmakers’ protests.
The reporter asked Tuesday, “I’m wondering… what the reaction is to these attempts to expel these members? Do they think it’s justified, not justified? And everything that’s kind of happening in that legislature after the Nashville shootings last week.”
Jean-Pierre accused the Tennessee Republicans of attempting to “play politics.” She did not say the same about the Democrat lawmakers using a bullhorn as a political stunt.
She said —
Look, as you saw, and I’m sure have been reporting, 7,000 students peacefully marched to the capital to confront their lawmakers for their failure to keep them safe at school.
And what did the Republican legislators do? As you just laid out, Seung Min, they’re trying to expel these three Democratic legislators who joined in the protests…
By doing what they’re doing with these three Democratic legislators, they’re shrugging in the face of yet another tragic school shooting while our kids continue to pay the price…
Republican legislators, to your question, want to play politics and not put the lives of our kids first.
Jean-Pierre also declined to answer the second part of the reporter’s question.
The reporter was asking about the Tennessee legislature’s recent activities.
Last month, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a law allowing private schools to contract with local police to hire school resource officers. State-level leaders told reporters that Lee has been meeting with lawmakers to discuss possible legislation and budget proposals.
In a letter to Lee, Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally called for securing windows and glass in school buildings, adding magnetic locks on doors, modernizing camera systems, and increasing armed guards. McNally said later that he also is in favor of red flag laws like one in Florida, but also acknowledged that such a proposal may not clear the Statehouse.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Cameron Sexton told reporters Thursday that he was willing to discuss any legislative option but held back from committing to pursuing any particular policy proposal.
However, Jean-Pierre dismissed all public-safety bills other than Biden’s.
She said —
And so, look, what we’re seeing from Florida to Tennessee, in the United States, are Republican officials who are doubling down on dangerous bills that make our schools, places of worship, and communities less safe.
The President has been clear. Too many lives are being ripped apart, communities are being ripped apart with this gun violence, which is an epidemic in our country.
This is why he’s taken the actions that he has these first two years and continues to have — with executive action, historic executive action. And he’s going to continue to call on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazine, require safe storage of firearms, eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and require background checks for all gun sales, and for state officials to take action at the state level.
After this, Jean-Pierre faced criticism for her glibness and her hypocrisy.
One pundit tweeted, “Of course, this White House sides with the mob, not with the democratically elected government of Tennessee. These people would be defending January 6 if it was their party.”
Take a look —
Of course, this White House sides with the mob, not with the democratically elected government of Tennessee. These people would be defending January 6 if it was their party. https://t.co/NnDPmAB1kw
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) April 6, 2023
This is what the @tnhousegop is about to have to walk through when session is over. The young will save us. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9jOUoI2DsS
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) March 30, 2023
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.