Brent Taylor
Role at the time: Republican nominee for U.S. House, Tennessee's 9th district; Tennessee state senator
Statement summary
Speaking in Franklin on primary night after winning the Republican nomination, state Sen. Brent Taylor said backlash to the war in Iran was unmerited and that bigger issues justify, in his words, brief moments of discomfort. He said President Trump has done more to revitalize the sense of America first and that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
“President Trump has done more to revitalize our sense of America first. We're not beholden to some state over there that wants to hold the world hostage. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Tennessean primary-night live blog, republished by Yahoo, including Elijah Carll's report on Brent Taylor's speech in Franklin after he won the Republican nomination in Tennessee's 9th district on August 6, 2026.
Why we used this label
Taylor dismissed backlash to the war as unmerited, praised Trump's record, and framed the conflict as stopping Iran from holding the world hostage, a supportive position.