Donald Trump's appearance at a GOP donor event in the state follows weeks of scrutiny over the expulsion of two lawmakers from the state legislature.
The event comes as the Tennessee Republican Party is facing national scrutiny over recent actions taken by the state legislature.
Youth-led protests ensued following the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville last month, with more than 1,000 protesters gathering at the Tennessee state Capitol building to call for gun control measures. Three Democratic state lawmakers—Representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson—protested on the floor of the state house over the legislature's inaction on gun violence.
Former President Donald Trump speaking at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida on April 4. Trump is set to appear at a GOP donor retreat in Tennessee this week as the state's Republicans face pressure over the recent expulsion of two Black Democratic lawmakers from the state legislature.Republican lawmakers then voted to expel Representatives Jones and Pearson from the state House, though they have both now been reinstated. Republicans thenas Jones and Pearson are Black.
Republicans have said the two lawmakers were expelled for breaching the rules of the legislature and violating decorum. However, Democrats have argued the expulsions were not only racist, but anti-democratic. According to Reuters, the state's House, which is controlled by Republicans, voted 72-25 along party lines to remove Jones and 69-26 to remove Pearson. When it came time to expel Johnson, the vote was 65-30. Sixty-six votes are needed for expulsion.
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