County commissioner Warren Hurst said the US had a "queer running for president". (WVLT)

A county official in Tennessee went on an anti-gay, racist rant during a public meeting, saying that the US has a “queer running for president” and claiming that “the white male in this country has very few rights”.

Commissioner for Sevier County, Warren Hurst, made the comments at a county commission meeting to discuss whether the county should become a “gun sanctuary city”, meaning gun owners from other areas could openly carry firearms there.

In a video captured by WVLT News, Hurst said: “It’s time we wake up people, it’s time, it’s past time.

“We got a queer running for president, if that ain’t about as ugly as you can get. Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party.

“We can go over here to [Sevier County Sheriff] Hoss’ jail and get better people out of there than those running for Democratic [sic] to be president of the United States.”

Pete Buttigieg is the only openly gay candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. One woman in the audience said “this is bulls***” and walked out of the meeting.

Hurst then continued: “I’m not prejudice [sic], but by golly, the white male in this country has very few rights and they’re getting took more every day. Your kids and your grandkids are gonna pay for what we’ve let happen.”



Later, in a statement to WVLT News, Hurst said that he had African-American friends but he stands by his comments.

Assistant to the Sevier County Mayor, Perrin Anderson, responded to Hurst’s comments and said: “The statements made by commissioner Hurst at the Sevier County Commission meeting of October 21, 2019, do not reflect the opinion or position of Sevier County administration.

“Sevier County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or status in any other group protected by law.”