Tennessee GOP Commissioner Warren Hurst Launches Homophobic Rant Against Pete Buttigieg [Video]

Tennessee county commissioner Warren Hurst ranted about a “queer running for president” in a homophobic tirade seemingly directed at democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg.

“Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party. We can go over here in [Sevier County Sheriff] Hoss’s jail and get better people,” Hurst said at a meeting about gun restrictions. “We got a queer running for president, if that ain’t about as ugly as you can get,” he added.

Although he did not refer to Buttigieg by name, he is the only openly gay candidate in the 2020 race.

His comments caused several people in the audience to laugh and clap, but prompted one woman to walk out of the meeting.

“This is not professional,” she said as she walked out.

The woman, chair of the Sevier County Democrats Sara Thompson, told WVLT-TV Tuesday, “I was actually incensed. I think that was a very demeaning and nasty thing to even talk about.”

In the meeting, Hurst also criticized the left’s push for reproductive rights and a lack of white male rights.

“I’m not prejudiced, a white male in this country has very few rights and they’re getting took more every day,” he said.

Hurst’s comments have provoked national outrage, with some calling for his resignation.

His fellow commissioner, Greg Haggard, told WVLT-TV that “Commissioner Hurst’s comments do not speak for the rest of the county commission.”