Tennessee Republican Says Justin Jones 'Wanted to Be Kicked Out'

After Tennessee Republicans were accused of racism in their ousting of two Black Democrats, GOP Representative Bryan Richey defended the vote, claiming one of the expelled lawmakers, Justin Jones, told him that he wanted to be kicked out.

Jones and fellow former Democratic Representative Justin Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday, a week after they breached decorum while participating in a gun-control protest. An effort to remove Democratic Representative Gloria Johnson, who is white, failed by one vote.

The "Tennessee Three" have gone viral for speaking out of turn in support of a youth-led protest on gun control after the recent deadly shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. The nation's 129th mass shooting killed three 9-year-olds and three adults. It has reignited the gun-law debate across the country, particularly among Gen Z.

Richey, who voted to expel Jones but not Pearson or Johnson, said racism was not a factor. He said he believed the three Democrats deserved to be punished for their actions but was not in favor of removing any of them from the House.

Richey told Newsweek in an email that he and Jones spoke in his office this week where the Republican told his colleague that he felt the Democrats' decorum breach did not warrant expulsion.

"I shared with him that I was in favor of them staying," Richey said. "He communicated that he was receiving a lot of national attention and that the members of Metro Council said they planned on reappointing him. He shared that he didn't care if I did vote yes because he was coming back. Throughout this conversation it felt like this is what he wanted to happen."

"I have respect for Rep. Jones and his commitment to standing up for what he believes," Richey continued. "I expect Rep. Jones to be back in the General Assembly before we gavel back into session this upcoming year."

A majority of the Nashville Metropolitan Council said they will vote to reinstate Jones to the legislature, and he could even get his seat back as early as Monday during a special meeting.

Newsweek has reached out to Jones via email for comment.

Pearson has already announced plans to run again for his old seat.

The ousting of the two young, liberal lawmakers has garnered national attention and sparked outrage over Republicans choosing to focus on articles of expulsion rather than tackling gun safety—an issue that drew thousands of people to the statehouse grounds this week.

On Monday, more than 7,000 students left class and marched to the Tennessee Capitol to rally for stricter gun laws, according to March For Our Lives, which organized the protest. Youth protesters also came out in droves Thursday night as Jones and Pearson were removed from office.

The rallying continued Friday afternoon as protesters gathered outside the statehouse.

Vice President Kamala Harris also visited Nashville on Friday to meet with the Tennessee Three, who she said showed courage for fighting for gun-safety laws.

"That is not a democracy," Harris said of the expulsions while at an event at Fisk University in Nashville, seen in a tweet from Kirsten Allen, the vice president's press secretary. "You don't silence the people, you do not stifle the people, you do not turn off their microphones when they are speaking about the importance of life and liberty."