Republican Matt Van Epps fended off a challenge from far-Left Democrat Aftyn Behn on Tuesday during a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.

With 95% of the vote in, DecisionDeskHQ has called the race for Van Epps 53.9% to 45%. Other outlets followed shortly after.

Van Epps’ victory allows Republicans to breathe a sigh of relief after Democrats surged money and resources into the race, hoping to capitalize on typically low Republican turnout in special elections. A win for Behn in the deep red district would have sent shockwaves throughout the nation. The self-described “radical” community organizer had previously voiced support for burning down police stations and supported transgender surgeries on young children.

The race was scheduled after former Rep. Mark Green announced his resignation earlier this year. Green won the district, which stretches from Tennessee’s borders with Kentucky and Alabama and includes parts of Nashville, by over 20 points.

In recent weeks, money poured into the race as Behn campaigned with Democrat favorites Al Gore and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

House Speaker Mike Johnson traveled to Tennessee on Monday to rally support for Van Epps.

Van Epps’ win bolsters Johnson’s slim majority in the House, which currently sits at 219-213.

Behn had a fundraising advantage over Van Epps, raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12 while Van Epps took in $591,000 during that same timeframe. At the same time, the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc spent over $1 million backing Van Epps, while the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC and Your Community PAC have spent a combined $950,000 supporting Behn.

Behn won a crowded Democratic primary in August despite a history of leftist advocacy out of touch with much of the Volunteer State’s conservative leaning.

She once claimed that men can give birth. Behn also said that the murder of six children by a transgender-identifying gunman at the Covenant School in Tennessee made her more sympathetic to “trans communities.” That apparent sympathy inspired her to “fight the far-right narrative that is being emanated by Matt Walsh and The Daily Wire.”

Behn also backs transgender procedures on children, draping a trans flag on her back during “Pride” month and writing on social media: “THESE COLORS DON’T BLEED. Remember, you come for my trans community, I come for you.”

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In a May 2022 podcast appearance, Behn said she supported the mailing of abortion pills into Tennessee by outside groups. Medication abortions are illegal under Tennessee law.

“We’ll continue to figure out how to get abortion pills to people. So the organizing does not stop just because Roe is overturned,” Behn said.

Last month, Behn went viral for comments she made about her hatred of country music and the city of Nashville.

Van Epps also won a crowded Republican primary after earning an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Trump called into a rally for Van Epps featuring Tennessee GOP heavyweights and held a tele-rally on Monday night for the Republican on the eve of the election.

President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting that the Pentagon’s lethal strikes on narco-terrorists will soon move from the ocean to land.

Trump said that narco-terrorists are responsible for drugs killing 200,000 Americans annually and announced plans to expand “Operation Southern Spear” from maritime interdictions to land strikes.

“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land too,” the president said. “The land is much easier. It’s much easier. And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon, too.”

NEW: Trump says he will begin striking narco-terrorists by land.

“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land too. You know, the land is much easier… we know where the bad ones live.” pic.twitter.com/Sb7W1DBnEn

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) December 2, 2025

Any country trafficking illegal narcotics is a possible target, Trump added, mentioning Colombia and Venezuela. 

“Not just Venezuela. Venezuela has been very bad. Venezuela has been really bad in something else, probably worse than most, but a lot of other people do it too,” Trump said. 

Trump said the administration’s efforts have already slashed drug trafficking through maritime routes by more than 90%, crediting naval strikes with saving “hundreds of thousands of lives” and warning narco-terrorist groups that “we’ve only just begun.”

“We’re saving hundreds of thousands of lives with our pinpoint attacks,” Trump added.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the administration has “only just begun” targeting narco-terrorists, vowing to put traffickers “at the bottom of the ocean” for “poisoning the American people.”

NEW: Secretary Pete Hegseth says U.S. has “only just begun” sinking narco-terrorist vessels. pic.twitter.com/UYo7ffvzfF

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) December 2, 2025

The United States has been ramping up its military presence in the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear, while continuing strikes on vessels tied to narco-terrorists.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, deployed to the region last month to back the operation, which is disrupting drug trafficking networks. More than 15,000 troops and a dozen warships have reportedly amassed in the region.

More than 80 people have been killed in strikes on alleged drug vessels, reported CNN.

Trump issued a warning Sunday, declaring Venezuelan airspace effectively off-limits.

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted to Truth Social.

Despite that warning, both commercial and private aircraft have continued flying through Venezuelan airspace, flight-tracking services show.

The Maduro regime responded, calling the president’s comments a “colonialist threat.”

“No authority outside the Venezuelan institutional framework has the power to interfere with, block, or condition the use of international airspace,” the statement said.

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Trump, who designated Nicolás Maduro as the leader of the Cartel de Los Soles, has been pressuring him to resign and flee the country. Trump confirmed he has spoken with Maduro but did not share the details of what was discussed. 

Pope Leo encouraged the United States against invading Venezuela on Tuesday while speaking to reporters on the papal plane.

“It seems there is the possibility that there be some activity, even an operation to invade Venezuelan territory,” Leo said. “I truly believe that it is better to look for ways of dialogue, maybe pressure, including economic pressure, but looking another way to change, if that is what they want to do in the United States.”