Do Tennessee Democratic Congressional Candidates Support Ending Aid to Israel?

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In recent days prominent voices across the political spectrum have called for ending all aid to Israel, as their bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon and attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank continue, and Netanyahu does all he can to keep peace with Iran from ending a war he played a key role in dragging us into.

From AOC to Tucker Carlson to Jon Favreau of Pod Save America to even J Street, the calls to stop assisting the country led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who clearly does not want peace, and who is likely trying to keep himself out of prison, have grown louder.

So where do the Democratic congressional candidates in Tennessee stand on this issue? The contested races are in TN-5 (Nashville and surrounding areas) and TN-9 (Memphis), so we asked the 6 candidates in those areas the following question:

AOC, J Street, Jon Favreau, Tucker Carlson and others have now called for an end to all aid to Israel. Do you support that?

Below were their responses in full. (Only Chaz Molder in TN-5 did not respond)

TN-5 CANDIDATES:

 

Mike Cortese:

“Yes. I support halting military aid to Israel.  This is not a position I’ve always held. For years I strongly supported providing defensive weapons to Israel, but, leadership is about responding to reality and the reality today is different.

The Israeli government’s actions, from Gaza to Lebanon to Iran, have gone too far. The continued loss of innocent civilian life is unacceptable and it must stop. Additionally, these actions have created additional conflict, further destabilized the region, and put Americans at greater risk.

The United States has leverage at this moment. We should use it to de-escalate, to protect innocent lives, and to prevent conflict, not enable it.

Let me be absolutely clear: I stand with and love my Jewish friends, neighbors, and communities. I would put my life on the line to protect them.  Those same friends also understand my position to stand for American interests and for human life, which means being honest when American resources and taxpayer dollars are used to cause greater instability and unnecessary bloodshed.”

Jim Torino:

“I support reducing U.S. assistance tied to the war in Palestine until there is a clear commitment to the permanent cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilian lives, and a credible path to a just and lasting peace. US policy should reflect our values, human dignity, accountability, and diplomacy over prolonged conflict.”

Dr. Joyce Neal:

“Yes, I do.”

Chaz Molder:

No response, despite repeated attempts from us to ask him directly.

TN-9 CANDIDATES:

Rep. Justin J. Pearson:

“I agree with this position 100%. Netanyahu is a war criminal and we should not subsidize his wars nor genocide.”

Congressman Steve Cohen:

“I will always value Israel as an ally. From what I understand, I generally concur with J Street’s position that the United States’ and Israel’s relationship should continue as allies but that U.S. military aid should not subsidize Israel.

I have not attended either of Benjamin Netanyahu’s addresses to Congress. I believe that the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu is deleterious to world peace and harms the long-standing relationship between our countries.

I love the United States, but I do not favor the current government led by Donald Trump and his acolytes. I hail Israel as a refuge for the Jewish people who were the victims of genocide by the Nazi regime, but I cannot embrace the current right-wing Israeli government.”

INTERVIEW: Former VP Al Gore

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Former Vice President Al Gore joins Kanew to talk about his upcoming Nashville Climate Training May 1st & 2nd in NASHVILLE, Trump’s “historic mistake” in Iran, Tennessee’s political shift and more.

INTERVIEW: REP. BOB FREEMAN

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Rep. Bob Freeman (D) on a Wired report linking DHS/ICE to a property owned by his NASHVILLE real estate company.

“GSA was intentionally unclear and vague on who the end user would be… It makes me sick to my stomach we’ve been looped into this.”

 

INTERVIEW: Speaker Cameron Sexton Finally Talks to Us

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Should Ice Be Abolished? We Asked TN-5 & TN-9 Dem Candidates

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As the newest video confirms, the killing of Renee Good by Trump’s racist ICE goons in Minneapolis is unjustifiable and horrific. It’s just the latest example of a  rogue, overfunded agency operating with impunity.

In the wake of that tragedy we have already seen two examples of trigger-happy ICE agents pointing guns at unarmed protesters. In Portland there is now a report of a husband and wife being shot by ICE (details still emerging). The examples of their unaccountable abuse of power are endless.

Many have been calling for ICE to be abolished for years, but that “Abolish ICE!” cry has now moved from the signs of progressive advocates to the fingers of the likes of Conservative Bill Kristol. It is no longer a “radical” position. (P.S. – It never was.)

Yesterday CNN asked Senator Schumer if he believes ICE should be abolished. He wouldn’t say. But the question is now not only a fair one, it’s an important one. Defunding and scrapping a rogue agency that exists only to exist and terrorize immigrants and racially profile black and brown people is a position many Democrats are expecting those they elect to take.

Here in Tennessee, the most hotly contested Democratic primaries this coming midterms so far appear to be in the 9th District (Memphis), where Rep. Justin J. Pearson is challenging Congressman Steve Cohen, and the 5th District (Nashville & other counties), where a handful of hopefuls are running to replace the always embarrassing Andy “Pinocchiogles” Ogles.

We asked the Dems running: “Do you believe ICE needs to be abolished?”

Their answers are below…

CONGRESSMAN STEVE COHEN:

“My answer is yes. It doesn’t operate as a traditional law enforcement agency, its agents don’t wear uniforms but do wear masks. It has lost the public’s trust as it conducts raids like commando missions.

“I’d add that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should resign. She has no qualifications for the job except that she is ‘Trump Lite’ with no substance and no record.

“I have a long history of questioning Secretary Noem and on her claim that ICE is arresting ‘the worst of the worst,’ which is false. This week I questioned her about ICE agent qualifications and training. See that letter here.”

 

JUSTIN J. PEARSON: Supports abolishing ICE – per the Justice Dems…

Note: Rep. Cohen has since said his vote for HR 488 “thanking ICE” the Justice Dems refer to was a mistake, and he wrote a letter to the speaker saying he meant to vote yes on a different resolution:

 

CHAZ MOLDER (referred us to his statement about Renee Good, which does not take a position on abolishing ICE):

 

MIKE CORTESE (referred us to his statement about Renee Good, which does not take a position on abolishing ICE):

DR. JOYCE NEAL:

“ICE’s goal is to safeguard the United States against illegal immigration and cross-border crime. We need to stop these ICE agents from terrorizing American neighborhoods. Although I do not think ICE should be disbanded, I do think that agents should be held responsible for their acts. Undocumented immigrants who pose no threat to local populations should not be rounded up by masked ICE officials. Every ICE agent should be transferred to the southern border and receive further training on how to handle unauthorized/undocumented immigrants.”

 

JIM TORINO:

“Abolishing ICE is not an unreasonable position given its 2025 history and recent tragic event. The deeper question is whether the federal government can enforce immigration law without criminalizing communities, violating civil rights, or operating beyond meaningful oversight. If it cannot (and this seems to be the case), then abolition or wholesale replacement becomes necessary.”

 

 

INTERVIEW: David Hogg (Leaders We Dess

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David Hogg joins Kanew to talk about why gun safety laws work, and why his organization Leaders We Deserve is backing Rep. Justin J. Pearson’s effort to replace Congressman Steve Cohen, who equated Pearson’s challenge with “Pearl Harbor”.

The Case for MEDICARE FOR ALL (with a former Insurance company exec)

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Wendell Potter was an insurance company executive for 20 years, until he had a crisis of conscience (in Tennessee) and now is a MEDICARE FOR ALL advocate. “The work I was doing was to mislead people.” Our health care system is expensive, cruel, and broken. The time for Medicare for All is now. 

Virtual Audio-Only (not a) “Town Hall” On Nashville Teslas-Only Tunnel Immediately Scrubbed From X

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Yesterday Elon Musk’s Boring Company held a highly curated, audio-only Twitter Spaces (it’s still Twitter to us) about the Nashville Teslas-only airport tunnel nobody wanted, then immediately deleted it. So the only way to hear it was to listen to it as it happened.

It was billed as a “town hall”, and outlets like WSMV were happy to help them misleadingly brand it that way, but from we’re sitting a town hall isn’t a “town hall” at all if, ya know, the town isn’t there.

The people of Nashville have never been given an audience with the team behind Gov. Lee and the richest man in the world’s pet project, and representatives like Justin Jones were famously kept out of the closed-door event they held at the airport where Governor Lee had stars in his eyes.

Governor Lee has never met a corporate handout he didn’t love.

As a reminder, this all comes as there are very real questions swirling around how the project came to fruition, with a company called Altitude Ventures acting as a front for the operation here in Tennessee. Altitude has deep ties to Lee’s administration. It was founded by Lee’s Economic & Community Development commisioner Stuart Mcwhorter’s father, and one of the higher-ups at Altitude Nathan Buttrey, who was there that day keeping Rep. Justin Jones out of the airport event, is now working under Mcwhorter as his Assistant Commissioner inside our state government.

The nepotism is so real. But DEI, meritocracy, something something right?

What are they all getting for their troubles? How do they get paid? Aside, of course, from the fact that Tennessee is literally paying Mcwhorter and Buttrey six figure salaries as they clear the way for Elon to drill a gaping hole under Nashville nobody wanted, which started happening without any community input or conversations with almost any local electeds.

So you can see why instead of a real “town hall” they would hold a highly curated audio-only Spaces featuring Boring CEO Steven Davis, local Nashville attorney Charles Robert Bone, and Dee Patel… then immediately delete it.

Otherwise people might show up in person and get to ask some real questions and point things out like Senator Heidi Campbell and Councilman Russ Bradford were pointing out as the Spaces propaganda session droned on. (see below)

This reminds us of the “tele-town halls” Tennessee Republicans like Marsha Blackburn hold instead of facing constituents. But here’s the thing: Virtual events like this are not town halls at all. They are merely confirmations that the people who hold them have something to hide, and know their own answers are bad.

Our advice: Beware those who hold them, and the outlets who help call them “town halls” when they very clearly are not.

And beware of companies that drill gaping holes in the ground beneath you without facing local citizens to explain to them how it will benefit the people who live in the “town” of Nashville, especially when the one in Vegas is riddled with scandal and controversies, and does not do what was promised.