Sen. Hagerty on Biden hosting 'Tennessee Three' after school shooting: 'Focused entirely on politics'
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss Biden inviting the 'Tennessee Three' to the White House, the latest on the Hunter Biden investigation, the war in Sudan and the migrant surge at the border.
Authorities are facing mounting pressure to unveil the Nashville school shooter's manifesto to shed light on the motive behind the brutal massacre that left six people, including three children, dead last month.
The FBI has been accused of stalling its release after officials reportedly found 20 journals, five laptops and a suicide note among other things at the shooter's home. The suspect, Audrey Hale, identified as trans and was a former student at The Covenant School before she carried out the deadly shooting last month.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., called it "perplexing" that officials have yet to release a motive or any of her writings nearly one month after the tragedy during "Fox & Friends" Monday.
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"It's been very perplexing to all of us involved," Hagerty said. "It seems that certain information is flooded into the marketplace immediately if it fits the narrative, so to speak. If the information does not fit the narrative, it seems to get suppressed."
"I don't know what's in the manifesto. I want to be sensitive to our law enforcement officers that are going through this, but it's certainly taking a long time to figure out whether and what information should be released," he continued. "I think people do deserve to know what took place, what was in the mind of this sick person that committed these heinous murders."
Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale, 28, pictured in a driver's license photo and on school surveillance video released by Nashville police. Hale killed three 9-year-olds and three adults Monday morning at a private school linked to a church. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Rep. Tim Burchett, (R-Tenn.) expressed his disappointment to the New York Post, arguing the manifesto's release could "answer a lot of questions," and should be released the lawmakers and families affected by the shooting.
Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston also told the Post the manifesto, which officials have already claimed would not be released entirely, is a "blueprint on total destruction."
"That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous," she said.
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Hagerty also slammed the White House for inviting the "Tennessee Three," a group of state lawmakers who protested after the Nashville school shooting, to the White House but not the victims of the brutal massacre.
"I understand that this White House is focused entirely on politics. I'm certainly focused on… those who lost their lives," Hagerty said. "We're doing we can to put in place legislation to harden schools, to protect these children, to protect the most vulnerable, and political stunts really are secondary and minor, I think, to everyone, certainly in Tennessee, that cares about the situation at Covenant School."
Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson People hold their hands up as they exit the House Chamber doors at Tennessee State Capitol Building in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, April 3, 2023. (Nicole Hester /The Tennessean via AP)
State Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, and Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, were reportedly invited to the White House after they engaged in a pro-gun-control protest inside the Tennessee State Capitol.
The State House later voted to expel Jones and Pearson – but the duo were later essentially reinstated after the Shelby County Council and Nashville Metro Council respectively voted to place them in the newly-open seats.
"Certainly it was a stunt that took place on the floor of the Tennessee Senate. The bullhorns, all of the racket-making, they knew what the rules were," Hagerty said. "But again, this just turned into something that I think the White House can make some political gains on. At least that's their calculation."
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"I wish they would instead focus on the victims of this horrendous murder," he continued.
Fox News' Peter Doocy pressed White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the topic last week, asking her if any of the shooting victims' families had been invited to the White House.
"Monday, you're going to have three of the lawmakers who protested," Doocy said.
Jean-Pierre interrupted him, noting they were "peacefully" protesting.
"Who peacefully protested after the Nashville Covenant School shooting," Doocy continued. "Have any of the victims or the victims families been invited to the White House?"
"I don't have anything to read out to you about any invite," Jean-Pierre replied.
Hagerty accused the Biden administration of being more focused on sculpting the "narrative," as opposed to the reality of the situation.
"We've got an administration in the White House that's far more focused on press releases, spin and politics than they are on substance and reality," Hagerty said. "It's not just what's happening here domestically, it's what's happening around the world."
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Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
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