Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones of Tennessee is facing calls for resignation following his refusal to lead the Pledge of Allegiance during a legislative session. The Nashville Democrat opted not to participate in reciting the pledge after inviting a Native American speaker to deliver the opening prayer in the Choctaw language.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton reported that Jones justified his decision by citing opposition to “performative patriotism” with Republican colleagues who he perceives as supporting a former president he labels an “insurrectionist,” referring to Donald Trump.
In a social media post, Jones expressed his reluctance to join in what he considers performative patriotism while aligning with individuals who, in his view, undermine “liberty and justice for all.”
This statement drew criticism, particularly given that Jones himself had faced expulsion in April, along with another Democrat, Justin Pearson, for leading chants of “power to the people” on the House floor as a form of protest following a shooting incident at Nashville’s The Covenant School.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives in Tennessee voted to expel both Jones and Pearson, but they were later reinstated by the Nashville Metro Council and the Shelby County Commission, respectively.
They were re-elected in special elections in their respective districts. Jones, who had previously claimed a power grab by silencing the two youngest black representatives, remains a controversial figure within the state legislature.