Tennessee county commissioner unloads on white rights, ‘queer running for president’

A Tennessee county commissioner said he has “very few rights” as a white man in America during a Monday meeting where he also said an openly gay person running for president is “about as ugly as you can get.” 

Sevier County Commissioner Warren Hurst’s comments came as he spoke on a pending vote over becoming a gun sanctuary city,  reports WVLT, a local CBS affiliate. 

“It’s time we wake up people. It’s time, it’s past time,” Hurst said, according to video footage reported by WVLT.{mosads}

“I’m not prejudice, a white male in this country has very few rights and they’re getting took more every day,” he added, though he did not expand on what rights were being taken away from him for being a white man based on the reported video footage. 

Hurst then hit the Democratic Party candidates, specifically calling out an openly gay candidate for running in the race. 

“We got a queer running for president, if that ain’t about as ugly as you can get,” Hurst said, according to WVLT. “Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party. We can go over here to Hoss’s jail [Sevier County Sheriff] and get better people out of there than those running for democratic to be President of the United States.”

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the first openly gay major Democratic Party presidential candidate. 

The mayor has risen to the top tier of the crowded primary field. 

A woman reportedly left the meeting amid Hurst’s comments, but others in the crowd applauded, according to WVLT. 

In a phone call with WLVT Hurst stood by his comments saying he is entitled to his opinions. 

The Buttigieg campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment in response to what Hurst said.