DeSantis secures coveted invitation over Trump to Tennessee Republican event | Ashe

Both of Tennessee’s senators − Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty − have joyfully endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2024. Trump’s current indictment by the Department of Justice does not bother them.

Seven of the eight GOP House members from Tennessee have also backed Trump. Tim Burchett, however, whose voting record has aligned with Trump, has so far declined to endorse Trump for president in 2024.

Former Gov. Bill Haslam is backing South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Former senators Lamar Alexander, Bill Frist and Bob Corker have not endorsed anyone for president, nor has Gov. Bill Lee.

Therefore, it was a surprise to learn that the Tennessee Republican Party secured Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the keynote speaker at its annual Statesmen’s Dinner on July 15. He is Trump’s principal opponent. Trump dislikes him and calls him Ron DeSanctimonious – a childish cheap shot.

Trump is no doubt irked that his Tennessee congressional backers apparently were not able to prevent DeSantis from having this honor, which places him in front of key Republicans from across Tennessee. Or perhaps they did not know about it until after it was announced.

Lee, who is vice chair of the GOP Governors Association, has been very cordial with DeSantis, even attending a Palm Beach event for DeSantis last winter less than a mile from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.

Blackburn and Hagerty and most GOP congressmen are likely to attend the Statesmen’s Dinner.

There are varying levels of giving, including $25,000 to become a “Constitutionalist.” That level secures attendance to the VIP reception with DeSantis, entrance to a private roundtable with DeSantis and a choice of one priority table of 10 or two regular tables.

DeSantis also will be in Knoxville on July 25 for a private fundraiser. Tim Scott may be here in August.

The sudden resignation of Brooklyn Belk as deputy police chief for professional standards effective July 16 raises far more questions than it answers. Only four months ago, Chief Paul Noel and Mayor Indya Kincannon announced Belk’s employment at a well-attended news conference. She had been an adjunct professor in the University of Tennessee College of Law and would be paid $162,000 a year plus a car. She made more than all other deputy chiefs.

Noel now claims that when he hired Belk, “I knew we were only to have her for a short time.” But why did Noel and the mayor not tell us that when she was hired? Future employment for Belk elsewhere was not mentioned. The announcement was held Friday of July 4 weekend knowing that many would miss the story.

Transparency has been sidelined in the way this news has been handled. We are not being told the real reason or any reason for her departure. If it was an interim appointment, then why not treat it as such from the start? Why pay $162,000 a year for a short-term hire?

Now Noel and the mayor are back to a police department with no top-level Black officials. Noel, soon to hit his first anniversary, has made little progress in recruiting Black officers.

The Knox County Sierra Club Chapter has issued its endorsements in the Aug. 29 city primary. They include Mayor Indya Kincannon, City Councilman At-Large Amelia Parker, Cameron Brooks for council at-large Seat A and Debbie Helsley for council at-large Seat B.

In a first, the Sierra Club endorsed a city judge candidate, Tyler Caviness, over incumbent John Rosson.

Kent Minault, who chairs the Sierra committee that recommends endorsements, said, “Caviness sought our support. The others did not. He prepared an excellent video which impressed the committee. His energy and approach were refreshing.”

The League of Women Voters is hoping to set a date for a city judge forum.

Birthdays 

July 13: Architect Sara Hedstrom Pinnell is 53. James Hart is 81. CPA Cindy Segers is 60. Bert Sams is 78. Steven M. Whitmore is 34. Mary Lynn Majors is 84. Kim Wood is 63.

July 14: Steve Land is 70. Kyle A. Baisley is 40. Brian Blind is 49. Benjamin E. Lewis is 69. Andria Yates is 60.

July 15: Thomas J. Mattingly is 75. Dean Rice is 54. John Kalec is 73. Sally Boven is 65. Patty Bruns is 74.

July 16: Fiona McAnally is 55. M.D. Dotson is 42. Former county commissioner Mark Cawood is 69. Attorney James Stovall is 46. Amanda Busby is 52. Ron Watkins is 81. Mary Stackhouse is 69. Kristina C. Gordon is 54.

July 17: Don Freeman is 76. Bill Sansom is 82. Jeremy Coffey is 47. Christopher H. Crouch is 75. Queen Camilla is 76. Anna Ottaviano is 49. Deborah Crawford is 55. George Whedbee is 85.

July 18: Vince Vawter is 77. Janis Crye is 72. James Shastid is 85. Maria M. McHale is 33. Mack Gentry is 70. Dr. Ewin B. Jenkins Jr. is 79.

Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News. 

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Ron DeSantis invited over Donald Trump to speak at Tennessee GOP event