The “world is watching”: Trump faces a big test in Tennessee
episodePreviously titled ““The world is watching”: Trump faces a big test in Tennessee” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 2, 2026
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Good morning. It's Tuesday, December 2nd. I'm Shumita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, Beijing's grip on Hong Kong faces a major test after its devastating fire. Michael Jordan's plans to transform another sport. And why Costco is suing the Trump administration.
But first, tonight, according to President Trump, the whole world is watching a rural part of Tennessee. That's because there's a special election for a House seat tonight, a race that's turned out to be very close.
If you look at the results from last year's presidential election, Donald Trump won the 7th District of Tennessee, this district, by 22 percentage points, which suggests that this is a fairly reliably conservative district.
Anthony Zirker is a correspondent with the BBC who recently spent time in Tennessee to report on the race. A Democratic win would be the first there for more than 40 years and would further chip away at the razor-thin Republican majority in the House at a moment in which recent Gallup polling indicates the president's approval rating is the lowest it's been in his term so far.
So while it's just one district and it won't determine who controls Congress, at least in the short run, it could have a lot of significance for how this country is feeling. That's why both parties are sinking resources into this, because Republicans don't want this to be a reflection on voters souring on their control of government.
Democrat Afton Bain is a progressive running against conservative Republican veteran Matt Van Epps. Yet for both candidates, the issue of affordability has dominated their campaign messaging.
Matt Van Epps, nine combat tours, true American hero. Now I'm on a new mission to bring down prices, create good paying jobs and lower health care costs for working families.
Angry about high grocery prices? Worried about health care costs? Feeling burned by tariffs? Then December 2nd is your day to shake up Washington. I'm Afton Bain, and in Congress, I'll work for you.
The two candidates have appeared somewhat careful to stay independent from their party's leading figures. Kamala Harris visited to campaign, but the New York Times notes Bain left the stage before any pictures could be taken of them together. Van Epps, meanwhile, has President Trump's endorsement, but Zirker reports that he hasn't talked about the president much during the campaign. Van Epps is still the favorite to win, but recent polls suggest it's a tight race.
I think a Republican loss would be a seismic event for Republicans. It would be a huge warning sign that they are not safe even in what are considered to be comfortable Republican seats. The voters are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the incumbents.
No individual special election can translate into overall barometers of public opinion, and it's typical for incumbents in power to suffer losses. But Zirker found that some Republicans in the state were showing signs of disagreements with recent Trump policies relating to tariffs and visas.
There are indications of some cracks may be forming in Donald Trump's base. And while this election won't shatter that base, it could be an indication that Republicans not only are starting to try to think a little bit about distancing themselves from Donald Trump, but also starting to think about what a Republican Party future looks like after Donald Trump leaves office, which will now at this point only be in a matter of just over three years.
Why is Tennessee's special election significant for the GOP?
A major fire that tore through a Hong Kong apartment complex last week has left the city struggling with how to process the grief and where to direct the blame. The fire ripped through eight tower blocks holding 2,000 apartments. Over 150 people are now confirmed dead, with dozens still unaccounted for. Yesterday, officials said contractors working on the building had used scaffold netting that didn't meet fire safety standards, something investigators say contractors had tried to conceal. More than a dozen people have reportedly been arrested in recent days.
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