A rant bashing Pete Buttigieg and decrying the plight of white men from a state commissioner in was met with a round of applause in Tennessee.
Commissioner Warren Hurst, who represents parts of Sevier County, Tennessee, was speaking before a vote that would extend sanctuary protections to illegal immigrants within the country when he pivoted to discuss his problems with Democrats.
He warned that it was “passed time” for the county to “wake up” before diving into an anti-gay rant.
“We got a queer running for president, if that ain’t about as ugly as you can get,” Hurst said. “Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party. We can go over here to Hoss’s [Sevier County Sheriff] jail and get better people out of there than those running for democratic to be President of the United States.”
Hurst was referring to Buttigieg, who is openly gay and running for president.
The commissioner also claimed that white men are losing rights “every day.”
“I’m not prejudiced, a white male in this country has very few rights and they’re getting took more every day,” Hurst said.
The comments were warmly received from most of the crowd, with the exception of one woman who stormed out, claiming the remarks were “not professional.”
Perrin Anderson, an assistant to Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters, condemned Hurst’s remarks.
“The statements made by Commissioner Hurst at the Sevier County Commission meeting of October 21, 2019, do not reflect the opinion or position of Sevier County administration,” Anderson stated, adding the legal disclaimer, “Sevier County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or status in any other group protected by law.”
Buttigieg’s sexuality has been a hurdle for his presidential candidacy in some states. A recent focus group found his sexuality “a barrier” for black voters in South Carolina.
