Tennessee Three not expected to speak at DNC amid rumors of a mystery guest

The trio of Tennessee lawmakers known as the "Tennessee Three" were expected to get a primetime speaking slot at Thursday's Democratic National Convention, but the group is expected to be bumped from the program amid last-minute scheduling changes.

State Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson will not be speaking from the DNC stage tonight, according to a Tennessee House Democratic caucus spokesperson.

The scheduling shift comes amid swirling rumors that a surprise speaker was being slotted into Thursday's night schedule. None of the rumors have been confirmed, though social media is abuzz that a high-profile celebrity such as Beyoncé or Taylor Swift may appear.

As was the case with July's Republican National Convention, DNC nightly schedules are usually only released the day of and are subject to changes throughout the night, and the Tennessee Three's bump off the schedule is not unusual.

The trio had been expected to call for measures to end gun violence in their primetime speech.

“We know the gun violence epidemic in our state and in our country is one of the most significant problems that we have to address, and Vice President Harris is and has shown herself to be a proven leader to help address this epidemic,” Pearson said in an interview Wednesday , noting that Harris personally traveled to Nashville following the expulsion proceedings, and is leading the first-ever federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

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Pearson and Jones were both freshman lawmakers in 2023 when their political profiles shot to national prominence on the heels of state Republicans ousting them from the Tennessee General Assembly.

In the wake of The Covenant School shooting, which occurred just a few miles from the state capitol, the lawmakers joined other Democrats in voicing their frustration with inaction from the Republican supermajority after the deaths of six people, including three children.

Three days after the shooting, as thousands of gun reform protestors descended on state Capitol grounds, the duo walked up to the House podium during a floor session and began leading gun reform chants. Johnson joined the pair in solidarity, flanking Pearson and Jones as their chants echoed the shouts of protesters packed into the Capitol rotunda.

The move incensed Republicans, who Jones in particular had continually rankled through committee meetings and floor sessions. The supermajority moved days later to expel all three lawmakers, an unprecedented move to oust elected officials over a rules and decorum breach. The controversy supercharged already heated gun reform protests in Nashville.

Johnson narrowly survived her expulsion vote, but both Pearson and Jones were expelle d 10 days after the Covenant shooting. The expulsions of the two youngest, Black lawmakers further reduced an already minority caucus. The differing outcomes for the freshman lawmakers and Johnson riled even the GOP's own caucus, who squabbled internally after several Republicans broke with the caucus to vote against expelling Johnson.

The expulsions did little besides heap public scorn on the supermajority and place the trio on a national platform. Both Pearson and Jones were swiftly reappointed by local legislative bodies to temporarily fill their now-vacated seats, but both were able to rake in campaign cash in the few days they were out of office.

Both Pearson and Jones easily won reelection to their seats during special elections later in 2023.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Three not expected to speak at DNC amid rumors of a mystery guest