Leaked Audio Shows Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen Wishing GOP Candidate Would Jump Off a Bridge

Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee said he wished GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn would jump off a bridge.

“The big orange president .... He’s going to come down here and he is going to endorse Marsha Blackburn, because Marsha Blackburn, if he says, ‘Jump off the Harahan Bridge,’ she’ll jump off the Harahan Bridge,” Cohen said. “I wish he’d say that,” he continued, as the audience laughed.

The comment can be heard in a leaked audio obtained by the Huffington Post that came during a community prayer breakfast in Memphis on August 2 that was hosted by former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s campaign for Senate.

Bredesen and Blackburn are running against each other for the seat of retiring GOP member Sen. Bob Corker.

The Bredesen campaign is distancing itself from Cohen’s comments, noting Bredesen’s differing speech during the prayer service.

“I really don’t want [this election] to be about my opponent and who’s best and who’s worst or who’s made most mistakes, or things like that,” Bredesen said, according to the audio provided by his campaign. “I really want this election to be about ideas, and I want you to ask everyone to vote for the person who they think got the best ideas about how to create opportunity in Tennessee, and create opportunity in the United States of America.”

Meanwhile, Cohen is backtracking on his comments, claiming it was a joke.

“It was obviously humor,” he told Huff Po. “I wish her [Blackburn] no harm. I hope she doesn’t get the Senate. And I wish she wasn’t a lackey for Trump. But I don’t wish her physical harm.”

The crucial senate race vote will take place on November 6.