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Anchor Catherine Rampell Presses Aftyn Behn Over Deleted 'Defund the Police' Tweets

Anchor Catherine Rampell pressed Democratic congressional hopeful Aftyn Behn over deleted 2020 tweets that appeared to call to 'defund the police,' asking whether Behn still stands by those comments. Behn declined to provide a direct answer, calling the line of questioning 'cable news talking points' and steering the discussion toward affordability and local solutions. The exchange occurred as Behn campaigns in Tennessee's 7th District special election on December 2, a district that voted strongly for Trump in 2024.

03:46 PM, 11/24/2025Politics

Anchor Catherine Rampell confronted Tennessee state Representative Aftyn Behn about a series of since-deleted 2020 tweets calling to 'defund the police' during a late-night interview. Rampell asked Behn to clarify whether she still stood by those remarks, displaying screenshots of the deleted posts on screen.

Behn, a progressive running in the special election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District on December 2, declined to answer directly. The district is a Republican stronghold that President Donald Trump won by roughly 22 points in 2024, though Democrats have continued outreach efforts there.

What was shown

Rampell cited three deleted tweets from 2020 attributed to Behn: one urging that the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department be 'dissolved'; another endorsing a teachers' union position that 'defund the police should be a requirement for schools reopening'; and a third that read, 'Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.'

The exchange

Rampell: 'Do you still stand by those comments? And if not, is there anything you want to clarify?'

Behn refused to engage with what she called 'cable news talking points' and steered the conversation toward local issues. She emphasized that communities need local solutions and that her campaign is focused on affordability, access to healthcare, and the cost of living in the district.

When pressed again for a direct statement about whether she still believes police should be defunded, Behn said she did not remember the tweets and reiterated that the campaign's priority in the coming days is addressing voters' economic concerns. Rampell continued to press for a clear position on law enforcement, seeking a straightforward answer that Behn did not provide during the segment.

Context

Deleted social-media posts from past years have become a recurring point of scrutiny for political candidates. In this interview, the anchor sought to establish whether Behn's earlier statements represented her current views on policing and public safety — a topic of heightened interest in many districts nationwide.

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