Justin Pearson is backed by the far-left, Democratic Socialist radicals who are trying to take over Democratic Party, including Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.5E Justin Pearson and his allies want to defund the police, give non-citizens voting rights, and abolish the free-market economy.E
In May, Justin Pearson was caught on video screaming profanities at a Tennessee State Trooper inside the State Capitol and calling him "boy."6 He never apologized.F
Democrat Congressman Steve Cohen said of Pearson’s actions, “Being disrespectful to law enforcement officers is not something that’s appreciated by many people.”G
A fellow Democrat, State Senator London Lamar, said Justin Pearson has shown
law enforcement, "nothing but disrespect, calling them boys, belittling them, getting in their faces."7
On national television this year, Justin Pearson said, quote,1A
"We have to abolish ICE. We have to abolish the Customs and Border Patrol."
When he was asked to name a single illegal immigrant he would deport, he would not name one.1 In the legislature, Pearson voted against requiring Tennessee sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.2B
During a CNN discussion with Scott Jennings, Pearson refused to state that any illegal immigrants should be deported.
— CNN transcript — February 20, 2026
In a 2023 interview with Capital B News, Pearson criticized legislation restricting transgender minors’ access to gender-affirming medical care. He said: “They know that they’re morally wrong.” He was referring to legislators who ban gender-affirming care and silence people who disagree with them.
— Reported by Capital B News, May 15, 2023.
In May 2024, Pearson criticized a Tennessee bill requiring schools to notify parents when students disclose certain information about their gender identity. He said: “We have a responsibility and an obligation to make sure schools are safe for children to learn in, and a part of that is to ensure that who they are and their identities are welcomed and are supported.”
— Reported by WKMS, May 7, 2024.
Justin Pearson has said that3C
"Jesus is black. We could also say, Jesus is gay."
Justin Pearson is obsessed with race and identity politics, to the point of wanting to change Jesus Christ’s identity.
Justin Pearson wants Congress to pass a law mandating that all small businesses pay at least $20 an hour to employees,8H and Pearson wants Congress to pass a guaranteed, taxpayer-funded income paidH
Justin Pearson on a CNN panel with Scott Jennings (host Abby Phillip). Full quote: "We have to abolish ICE. We have to abolish the Customs and Border Patrol in the way that they currently exist," adding they should be replaced with "something that actually does the work that we need for them to do." Asked repeatedly whether there is "a single illegal alien that you would deport," he did not name one. Daily Wire, Feb. 21, 2026: https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-asked-who-hed-deport-dem-candidate-performs-verbal-tightrope-act ; see also AOL/Yahoo: https://www.aol.com/articles/scott-jennings-t-democratic-congressional-173016319.html
HB 2219 / SB 2223 (2026), requiring every county sheriff to enter a federal 287(g) immigration-enforcement agreement. Passed the House 71–25 on April 20, 2026 (21 Democrats and 4 Republicans voted no). Nashville Scene, Apr. 21, 2026: https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/house-passes-287g-bill/article_61834ec1-afb4-42bb-af19-88b8d7584b37.html ; LegiScan roll call: https://legiscan.com/TN/rollcall/HB2219/id/1685948
Pearson sermon at Calvary Episcopal Church, Memphis, in which he quoted theologian James Cone: "Jesus is black, but we could also say Jesus is gay and any other identity being humiliated." KWAM/Mighty 990: https://mighty990.com/afro-jesus-justin-pearson-says-jesus-is-a-black-lesbian/ ; video clip: https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1645539924245123072
Pearson opposed the 2024 Republican bill barring Tennessee local governments from studying or paying reparations, calling it "the legislating of white supremacy and racism" and "an effort to live in an ahistorical way." Capital B, Apr. 5, 2024: https://capitalbnews.org/tennessee-bill-reparations-study/
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Pearson on June 25, 2026; Justice Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders also back him. The Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2026/06/25/aoc-endorses-justin-pearson-tennessee-congress/ . Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Summer Lee campaigned with him in Memphis in July. MLK50, July 20, 2026: https://mlk50.com/2026/07/20/top-democrats-stump-for-pearson-at-memphis-rally/
May 7, 2026, House chamber, after passage of the new congressional map; Pearson's brother KeShaun was detained by troopers. On video, Pearson shouts at a trooper: "Boy! The f*** is wrong with you?! The f*** is wrong with you?! Stupid m***********…" Action News 5: https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/05/08/video-shows-tense-moment-between-rep-pearson-state-troopers-brother-detained-tenn-capitol/ ; WKRN video: https://www.wkrn.com/video/rep-justin-j-pearson-confronts-thp-deputy-video/11770413/
State Sen. London Lamar at a Shelby County Democratic Party candidate forum, late June 2026: "my opponents on the other side have shown them nothing but disrespect, calling them boys, belittling them, getting in (their) faces, talking smack about them." MLK50, July 29, 2026: https://mlk50.com/2026/07/29/in-district-9-race-lamar-and-pearson-showcase-a-split-in-democratic-party/
Pearson introduced HB 1399 (2025) in the Tennessee General Assembly to raise the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 an hour. Fox 17, Feb. 7, 2025: https://fox17.com/news/local/livable-wage-tennessee-lawmaker-proposes-minimum-wage-increase-to-20
The quote omits the qualifier "in the way that they currently exist" and his call to replace the agencies. Expect it to be called out as clipped; consider using the full sentence.
The bill and its 71–25 tally are confirmed, but no source I could reach lists individual members' votes. Pull Pearson's vote from the official House Journal for April 20, 2026 (HB 2219, third reading) before using this line.
These words are theologian James Cone's, which Pearson quoted in a sermon. As written, the message presents them as Pearson's own statement. Safer phrasing: "Justin Pearson told a church congregation, quoting James Cone, that…". "Wanting to change Jesus Christ's identity" is characterization, not something he said.
No source found for the quoted line "What we want is reparations for all of these harms that we have experienced," or for Pearson endorsing taxpayer-funded financial compensation, land grants and official apologies. The documented record is his opposition to the 2024 ban on local reparations studies (note 4). Get a primary source (video, transcript, bill) or revise.
The Ocasio-Cortez endorsement is confirmed. I found no Ilhan Omar endorsement and no Democratic Socialists of America endorsement; his backers are Justice Democrats, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley and Summer Lee. I found no source for Pearson supporting defunding the police, noncitizen voting or abolishing the free-market economy, and his campaign issues page (https://www.votejustinj.com/issues) contains none of them. These lines are unsourced as written.
Contemporaneous coverage reports no apology. Confirm none was issued later before stating "never."
Could not locate this Steve Cohen quote ("Being disrespectful to law enforcement officers is not something that's appreciated by many people") in any accessible source. Get the original source before using it.
The $20 minimum wage was a state bill in the Tennessee legislature (HB 1399, 2025), not a proposal for Congress, and coverage does not describe it as aimed at "small businesses." I found no source for a guaranteed-income proposal. Note that this message also appears to be cut off mid-sentence ("income paid").
Paid for by Brent Taylor for Tennessee
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