Brett Cooper — Meet the Pick-Me Politician Trying to Flip Tennessee | Episode 99

Guys, karma is a pain in my ass because of course I would spend the last week laughing about the terrible political candidates in New York and California and then bam, I am slapped with one right here in Tennessee. All right, so if you are not a Tennesseeian or maybe you are a Tennesseeian and you just don't know about this, we are having a special election next week on December 2nd here in Middle Tennessee. I think it is the seventh district which basically encompasses the entirety of middle Tennessee.

It goes from like Clarksville up on the Kentucky border all the way down to the Alabama border. And basically that entire area just surrounds Nashville at large. Like if you could commute to Nashville, you are most likely in this district. And now this local election is making national news because of how unhinged this candidate is. But unfortunately, I don't know if the GOP has the horsepower to get in her way. And we're going to talk about it.

But before we dive into that, make sure you head to brettcooper.com to check out our new and improved Cooper Confidential. I just uploaded my birth story. We have a couple of farm vlogs up there. We also have a New York City vlog from the last week that I was there with Fox. So, all of that is up there for you guys to enjoy in addition to ad free episodes. Anyway, let's go ahead and dive into this story. So, this candidate in the special election in Tennessee here, her name is Afton Bane.

She is. By the way, I like had to triple check that I was pronouncing that correctly because I probably read that 500 times and I I did not realize that it was a human being. Like I think I had probably been seeing posts on X about this woman and I was like what is I have no idea who this is. It finally clicked for me. I was like oh no this is a woman. Her name is Aptton Bane. She is 33 years old and she was born and raised in Tennessee.

But unfortunately for all of us who live here, she does not seem to have a great fondness for her home. And so the first and most important thing we should talk about is how much she hates Nashville. Just watch this clip is currently going viral on X. >> I've been heavily involved with the Nashville mayoral race because I hate the city. I hate the bachelorettees. I hate the pedal taverns. I hate country music. I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently and it city to the rest of the country, but I hate it.

Yeah. I'm that girl at the airport that all these bacheloretses are giddy walking out in their in their two-toned colored panton pink shirts. Okay, this is like the embodiment of a pick me political candidate. Like if I have ever seen one a Pick Me girl. She's like, "Oh my god, I'm not like everybody else. I hate Nashville. I would never want to do a Bachelorette party in Nashville. Oh my god, I hate country music. I literally hate every single thing about Nashville.

Everything that is made Nashville Nashville. Oh my god, it's just so boring. I I hope somebody picks me and votes for me." That's basically what we are seeing here. Now, I do feel like it is one thing to maybe not love the tourism in Nashville and maybe be inconvenienced by the Petal Taverns and what I call like sparkle tits on Broadway, which are just like girls screaming on the petal taverns. They're like headtotoe sequence.

But you know what? They are funding our economy. They are coming here. They are having a good time. It's why I moved out of like Nashville centric area to get away from that. They don't bother me all the way out here. That is totally fine. But it is a completely different thing to hate country music and hate everything that makes Nashville Nashville. Somebody commented and said, "Good grief, why is Aftton Bane, sounds like a sexually transmitted disease, running to represent Nashville if she hates Nashville so much?"

That, my friends, is the question that we need to answer today. Somebody else said, "It's like running for mayor of New York saying that you hate the people, hate Times Square, and hate Broadway. It will be staggeringly sad if she wins." Yeah, exactly. Another person said, "Why would you vote for somebody that hates everything you are? I mean, she should have like 3% support. Yes, you would think you would hope that she has barely any support, but this race is much closer that anybody has expected.

And this is coming from a district that Trump won by 22 points last year. And this woman, who we're going to see is certifiably crazy and hates everything that Nashville is, she is pulling a very close race. Now, after this clip started to circulate and make the rounds on X, people are like, "Oh, maybe this girl isn't as great as we thought she was." Afton herself then tried to walk back her statements by saying, "Oh, actually guys, I love going to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

I cry every time I go." That is her explanation. Just watch. Hey, Representative Aftton Bane here, the Democratic nominee for the seventh congressional special election in Tennessee. Um, for those of you just joining in, I often record segments in my Jeep Wrangler called Wrangling Time. Yes, there is a theme song and no, I will not be singing it today. >> Okay, we're going to pause because again, like the pickiness, it is like exhausting.

Look at I'm in my Jeep Wrangler. I'm so cool. I'm not like all the other politicians. I'm so cool. I'm just like vlogging in my car. What is happening? What is happening? Okay, sorry. Just had to say that. She's going on. But yes, I will bring it back because I know a lot of you miss it and you've said I I seem well. Uh so I look a little rough. Uh I have bags under my eyes because the Republican eye of Sauron has finally shifted towards mwah.

And I'm sure you've seen the commercials. I'm sure you've seen the onslaught of ads. And then today, the Republicans decided that they're going to start this narrative that me, the state representative who represents downtown Nashville, doesn't like the city. Now, I always want Nashville to be better, right? I want Nashville to be a place where working people can thrive, right? But sure, I get mad at the Bachelorettees sometimes.

I get mad at the pedal taverns, right? And you're talking to someone who has cried no less than 10 times in the Country Music Hall of Fame. The girl that just goes to the Ryman to hang out. >> Okay, so now she is walking back all of this. She's like, the Republicans that those damn Republicans are claiming that I don't like Nashville. Afton, you literally said it yourself. You didn't just say I hate the tourists. You say I literally hate Nashville.

I hate everything that Nashville is. I'm sorry. I think you said the Republicans didn't do that to you. That's a common thing in politics to be like, "They've done this to me. Can you believe that they're making us do this?" And those are words that came out of your actual mouth. And we're going to see this is a pattern with Aptton. But anyway, again, she's trying to convince everybody that she is now just a Nashville girly.

She goes and just hangs out at the Ryman. Are you taking the tour every other day? Like, nobody goes and just hangs out at the Ryman. I don't think you have ever actually done that. But anyway, moving on. The point being, this just doesn't seem to add up. Like I thought that you hated country music and yet you are crying in the country music hall of fame. Like that's all you could muster up to describe your feelings about Nashville.

I mean I guess guys I guess she's too busy focusing on transing the kids. And no guys, I am not joking about that because after the Covenant shooting took place in Nashville that wrecked our community, this is how she decided to respond. >> I had a snapped moment where I decided we need more people talking about the protections for trans kids and our trans communities at the legislature every day. And third, every legislative session, I promised to carry a trans bill of rights so that we could push back against the far-right narrative that is being emanated by Matt Walsh and the Daily Wire who have set up their home in Nashville.

And I promise to do that. I promise to fight for our trans community. Great. That's what she's doing. She's not fighting for Nashvilleians. She's just fighting against Matt Walsh and Daily Wire. That's great. That's a winning winning strategy. But of course, I'm saying that and she might actually win. So, what do I know, guys? What do I know? But as somebody who was going to be voting against her, I hear that I'm like, you actually don't care about us.

You hate the city. You hate the reason why it has grown to be what it is. You hate people who have moved here from California to find solace. You hate our values. And you're going to be focusing on carrying around a trans bill of rights. I mean, at the bare minimum, at least she's being honest. So, who knows? Maybe it's not just the country music she hates. Maybe she hates the fact that we're keeping kids from doing irreversible damage to their bodies.

Maybe she just hates the fact that this is a racist, godforsaken state. >> I'm sure people would love to know a little bit about you, uh, who you are, how you, uh, what you do at ruralorganizing.org, and how you got into that line of work. >> Yeah, I love it. So, I have a unconventional background. Uh, I'm a social worker, um, but on the the public policy side. And I was actually working in Europe when Trump was elected.

Um, and unlike a lot of my colleagues, decided to move back to East Tennessee where I grew up. Um, >> after Trump was elected. >> Yeah. After Trump was elected. >> Oh my god. Right. Right. Not not not quite the uh the common route. Um, and I remember taking my parents out to eat and telling them I want to get into Tennessee politics. And my mom started sobbing at the table and she said, you're never supposed to move back to godforsaken East Tennessee.

>> Great. Okay. So, god forsaken East Tennessee. That's how she has been raised to look at this state. So, no wonder she is very publicly and confidently saying that she doesn't love Nashville. She actually hates Nashville. She doesn't love the people. I mean, this is how she was raised. I mean, say what you want about Republicans and Republicans problems, but at least it seems like conservatives love this country, love their states, and want to bring them to greatness.

Democrats, on the contrary, are hellbent on ripping it to shreds, criticizing our history, our values, looking at half of the country down their noses with elitist disdain. This is what we see every single day. Whatever. I mean, moving on. That is not even the worst of what she has said because back in 2020, Afton Bane literally said that she supported burning police stations. And yes, that is 100% real. So, back in 2020, political polls posted, "Do you think the anger led to these protests are justified?"

and she retweeted that and she said, "Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe that burning down a police station is justified." So, by saying that, she's saying, "These are my people. Good morning to you. You are my people who believe that burning down a police station is justified." Now, this tweet has come back to bite her in the ass. She had a few other tweets similar to this. They were violent in nature.

She has been questioned about these tweets, obviously, and you will never believe how she's responding 5 years later. In 2020, you made some tweets that have since been deleted that were very critical of police. You said in in those since deleted tweets um that the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department should be dissolved. Another cheered on a teachers union saying that defund the police should be a requirement for schools reopening and another saying good morning especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.

um 2020 it was obviously a very fraught year. Do you still stand by those comments and if not is there anything you want to clarify? >> Um yeah I'm not going to engage in in in uh cable news talking points. >> I Okay, hold on. I'm not going to engage in cable news talking points. You're not going to clarify your opinions that you previously posted publicly. Like you obviously posted them. You can't stand behind them.

Or did you think that they would just automatically poof vanish out of thin air if you deleted them before you ran for public office? I'm sorry. That is just a recipe for disaster because since you deleted them, obviously everybody is going to work harder to dig them up, see what else you might be hiding. And obviously people are going to have questions. Those are not cable news talking points. Those are just actual things that voters want to know.

And it's insane that MSNBC is even asking her that. That is a panel on MSNBC that they are even pushing this. They're like, "Hey, do you actually still believe these things?" things like Nashville actually does have a lot of violent crime downtown where you represent Nashvilleians downtown. Do you actually want to dissolve Nashville PD when bachelorettes are coming into town, when there's drinking, when there are shootings?

When there's violent crime that we need to address? Do you actually want to burn down police stations? And she's like, "Oh my god, these cable news talking points." I mean, again, what world do you live in? Those are literally your words. Somebody commented and said, "Goes on cable news says during the interview, I'm not going to engage in cable news talking points. You don't hate politicians enough. I mean, you really don't.

And like, this actually might be worse. What we talked about last week with Katie Porter doing her interview in California, saying that follow-up questions were actually aggressive and combative that the reporter just trying to get to the root of Katie Porter's answer. Like, that that was just like too much. That was enough for her to rip off the microphone and try to walk off set. And obviously, all of this is so ironic because these people, their party, they are the aggressive ones, just like she proved by posting those tweets.

Somebody pointed this out and said, "Why does every single Democrat who runs for office these days seem to have some massive scandal regarding calls for violence?" Honest question, what is going on at the DNC? And my honest question is, why are they still getting elected? The fact that Jay Jones was exposed in Virginia for wishing death upon his political opponent, saying, "I hope that your children die in your wife's arms so that you change your mind on policy."

And that man was still supported by the Democrats, was still supported by the other Democrats running in Virginia and won. Like that is that is my real question. I mean and then they turn around and they have the gall to say that we actually are the Nazis. We're the bigots. We are the ones inciting violence and ripping this country apart. Like please like take a freaking look in the mirror. The writing is on the wall.

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Again, code Brett at checkout. Anyway, so back to Afton Bane. While she is trying to dodge questions on air, her previous posts have all been uncovered, like I said earlier. So, cable news talking points aside, we all know exactly where she stands because she has shared all of it. We even know where she stands on issues like ICE and deportations because in one previous live stream, she bragged about stalking and bullying federal agents just trying to do their jobs.

Take a look at this video. >> Okay, this is great. WE'VE GOT OUR GIRL SQUAD and we're bullying the ICE vehicles and state troopers. So this is like this is a win. >> That's a win. You have your girl squad, your girl bosses, and you are harassing state troopers and ICE agents, people who are again who are literally just trying to work and do their jobs. And what do you think you're actually going to get done? Later in this live stream, she's like, "We followed them to the gas station.

We cut them off and we pulled in and went to the gas station that they wanted to go to. They were so angry." Oh, what? You think that's going to stop deportations? You think that's going to protect illegal immigrants in Nashville? if you slide in and get to the, you know, gas nozzle that you want before the ice agent. Like, I don't even have the words. Like, I'm struggling to even get out anything because of how absurd and ridiculous and performative that is.

That's really what it is at the end of the day. Somebody commented and said, "Risking your political career and freedom for a few likes and attention on social media is wild AF." Another person said, "This level of self- snitching is hilarious." Now, it might be hilarious if anything had been done about it, but no, because she's here, that was back in May, and she is now running for higher political office. There have been no consequences, and now she has the power of the DNC behind her, and it certainly is behind her.

In fact, the House Democrat Super PAC just last week donated a million dollars to her campaign to try to bring it home. She's even been called the AOC of Tennessee. And I have to say, just a couple of years ago, the idea of this woman taking over a deep red district in Middle Tennessee would have been unthinkable. Even just last year with the presidential election, it would have been unfathomable. But after all the major Democrat wins last month, like anything is possible.

Like I actually am quite concerned about this. I am very excited to wake up next week and go vote against her. And speaking of those previous elections, it does seem like she's following in Mamani's footsteps by focusing on affordability and trying to disrupt the system. And what we know now is that this year that is the messaging that is working. >> I think he helps. I mean his message is one of helping working families across New York.

My message is one of helping working families across Tennessee. And obviously we know that messaging works. But the thing is I actually think that Afton pales in comparison to Zoron Mumdani because it is clear even if you hate him, it is clear that Mumani has a fondness for New York. He loves the city. He loves its people. He had an amazing time on the campaign trail. He looked like he loved his constituents. But Aftton, as you guys have now seen, has spent her career attacking Tennessee.

Money didn't do that. And I think that's why he was compelling even for people who were across the aisle and were like, "Okay, why not? Let's just shake it up. Let's just try something different." And so, who knows if this will work for Afton or not. And I hate to say it, but like the GOP is not doing a good job fighting back against this race. Matt Vaneps is the Republican running against her. And this week was the first time that I started hearing anything from him or about him because everything up until this point has been directed at her.

While she's out there talking to people about affordability and the crazy Republicans and all of these things and really speaking to voters, Matt Vanep's campaign seems to be centered on the fact that he will support the Trump agenda. He's going to support everything that the Republican Congress wants to do and that he has Trump's, you know, MAGA stamp of approval. He got that Trump endorsement. And that might have been great a couple of years ago.

It might have been great even, you know, a year ago. But right now, people don't care about that. They care about money in their pockets. And unfortunately for Republicans, ads like this are in fact effective. Angry about high grocery prices, worried about health care cost? Feeling burned by tariffs? Then December 2nd is your day to [music] shake up Washington. I'm Aptton Bane and in Congress, I'll work for you, not the rich donors or special [music] interest.

Together, we can bring balance to Washington by making healthc care more affordable, bringing down the cost of living, and protect workers and small businesses from jobkilling tariffs. I'm Aftton Bane, and I approve this message to shake up Washington. Now, obviously, I don't think that Aftton Bane is actually going to shake up Washington. She's going to get there. She's going to be part of the same machine that everybody ends up entering into.

She's also not shaking it up and fighting against the man because obviously the Democrats, the established Democrats have flooded a million dollars into her campaign. So, she's not really raging against the machine, but the message that she is presenting is indicative of that. And anybody who watches these ads is going to go, "Oh yeah, prices are really high. Like, I'm working on my Thanksgiving meal and it's, you know, it's really expensive and man, healthcare costs are expensive right now."

Like, that is going to speak to people. And again, what I keep saying, it feels like this messaging is, you know, two sides of the same coin with what we saw with Trump. This is what brought a victory home for Trump in 2016 and what brought a victory home last year. And it did the same for Mumani. It is affordability. It is a fresh voice. It's new. It's anti-establishment. That is what Americans care about. Even if they're not getting into the nitty-gritty of like, "Is she actually going to work for me?

Are her policies actually interesting?" Like, they hear affordability and they go, "Oh my gosh, yes, that is what I need to hear." And so, right now, for a lot of voters, I think that they care more about those messages than they do her views on ICE or BLM from 5 years ago. no matter how insane or incriminating those things objectively are to a lot of us. I mean, like, how can you fight against this woman when her slogans are literally feed kids, fix roads, and fund hospitals?

That's what she has on her social media. Like, fixing roads alone might drive, for lack of a better word, might drive Tennessans out to the polls to vote for her. So, who knows? Anyway, I will be out next Monday. I will be voting for her. If you live in Middle Tennessee in the huge, you know, seventh district, I urge you to go out and vote if you have not done already. I think early voting ends tomorrow. You know, Tennessee is such an incredible state.

I feel so honored to have been raised here. I feel so lucky to have been able to move back here. It is a haven for people who want to be left alone and want to have freedom and wide open spaces to raise their kids, enjoy low taxes, enjoy just like a general sense of sanity if you do avoid the downtown Nashville area because it does get a little bit crazy. But here's the thing. If Aftton Bane does win next week, this needs to be a wake-up call for the GOP.

This is not New York City. It's not Virginia. This is Tennessee. You cannot just rely on deep red voters to turn out. If she wins, that will be the lesson. You cannot just rely on a Trump endorsement and a vague promise to, you know, fulfill the MAGA agenda. Somebody commented and said GOP needs to take this race more seriously. They just assume that they have this in the bag in a historically safe district, but it's an off year and all the work to drive turnout that I'm seeing is coming from the Democratic side.

Exactly. Maybe the red voters will turn out. I hope they do. I will be there. Maybe I'll see you guys. But this fall, just in general, it should be a lesson to the GOP. It should be a lesson to its candidates. There is work to be done before the midterms and certainly before 2028. >> [gasps] >> My therapist always asks me to to transcribe my dreams when they happen. And the recurring dream I've had is standing up in a cafeteria full of women and saying, "I don't want children.

I want power." >> Instead of going to a doctor because we won't have any doctors that that provide abortions. How do you do it at home? >> That is unreasonable. but also the deeply patriarchal structures that these women are involved with because they've chosen marriage and they've chosen to to raise children. We are really living in a dystopian reality. I I tell you ladies and gents, it's not great. We all should be ashamed.