Tennessee GOP state representative Andrew Holt penned a three-page House Joint Resolution which offered gushing praise of the president and listed off dozens of accomplishments worthy of public congratulation. HJR 885, which the Dresden, Tennessee lawmaker filed on February 13, will be considered by the House of Representatives this Thursday as it seeks to “honor” Trump’s February 5 Senate acquittal of both articles of impeachment. Holt has been an ardently vocal supporter of Trump’s southern border wall and routinely champions the president’s talking points on his social media pages.
“Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the One Hundred Eleventh General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the Senate concurring, that we honor and congratulate President Donald J. Trump’s acquittal on two articles of impeachment and praise President Trump for his accomplishments as our nation’s forty-fifth president,” reads Holt’s House Joint Resolution 885.
In a call to Holt’s cell phone Tuesday, the state representative told Newsweek he’d received several profanity-laced calls throughout the day. His office did not immediately respond to requests for official comment Tuesday afternoon.
Holt thanks Trump throughout the resolution for reducing unemployment “for veterans, women, youth, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and those without a high school diploma.” He also praised both Republican Tennessee senators - Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander - for voting to acquit Trump on both articles of impeachment.
A Valentine’s Day-themed Facebook post from Holt last week showed off his collection of “Stand With Trump” candy hearts.
Trump was acquitted by a Senate vote of 52-48 on the House’s abuse of power charge and by a vote of 53-47 on the obstruction of justice allegation. The Republican majority voted to acquit the president without hearing testimony from witnesses or new evidence which had come to light following the House’s approval of the articles of impeachment.
“President Trump did such an amazing job delivering the #SOTU. I couldn’t be more proud of him! It’s time to end the obstruction in Washington and govern!” Holt wrote on Facebook that same week. “Who else is planning to show their support for President Trump at the ballot box? You know I am…”
Holt’s three-page House Joint Resolution lists numerous Trump administration talking points about successes in boosting U.S. oil production, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and canceling the Clean Power Plan. “Coal exports have increased by 60 percent, and U.S. oil production has reached an all-time high; the country is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.”
HJR 885 goes on to praise Trump for securing the 2028 Summer Olympics and for allocating massive amounts of taxpayer dollars in his year-to-year budget proposals toward the military and defense spending. Holt’s campaign website accused former President Barack Obama of causing companies to “flee America.”
Holt, who is also a farmer, was first elected to his District 76 seat in 2010 and again won re-election in November 2018.
Republicans currently control a “trifecta” on politics in the state, with the party having majorities in both the state House and Senate chambers, as well as Bill Lee sitting in the Governor’s office.
