A Tennessee woman was the only person to walk out in protest of Sevier County Commissioner Warren Hurst’s anti-gay and racist diatribe Monday night. The county commissioner decried the “queer running for president,” calling it “about as ugly as you can get.”
“Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party,” Commissioner Hurst continued, saying he could “get better people” at the local jail “than those running for Democratic, to be President of the United States.”
Sara Thompson, who stood up and called Hurst’s comments “not professional,” was noticed by many who saw the video of Hurst’s remarks, which has made national news.
“I was actually incensed. I think that was a very demeaning and nasty thing to even talk about,” Thompson told WVLT. “County commissioners need to remember that when they’re elected they need to represent everyone.”
It turns out Thompson serves as the chair for the Sevier County Democrats, but said she was attending Monday night’s meeting as a private citizen opposed to a move to make the county a gun sanctuary city.
“This should serve as a reminder to all county commissioners to have more respect for each other and their constituents,” she noted, calling Hurst’s comments bullying and retaliatory.
Hurst also launched a racist diatribe, telling local citizens “I’m not prejudice [sic], a white male in this country has very few rights and they’re getting took more every day.”
The local CBS affiliate adds that “Hurst told WVLT News over the phone that some of his best friends were African American, but he stands by his comments because he’s entitled to his opinions.”