Hamilton County mayoral candidate Weston Wamp, in an opinion column this week, defended his stance on former President Donald Trump and lamented what he called “divisive national issues” that have entered the race.
Wamp expressed these sentiments in a letter to The Chattanoogan.
“Focusing on issues like illegal immigration, which all conservatives oppose, does nothing but distract from conservatives articulating an agenda for local challenges – education, crime and infrastructure,” Wamp wrote.
“Last week, a Nashville-based, far-right political website called attention to comments I’ve made about former President Trump. The Free Press editorial page shared some of these comments, including my statement from a 2018 Twitter exchange that Trump was not ‘a conservative in the traditional sense.’ I stand by that.”
Last week The Tennessee Star linked to a series of tweets that Wamp published that reveal an intense dislike and even a resistance to Trump.
Wamp is the son of former Tennessee Republican Congressman Zach Wamp.
In more than one tweet, Weston Wamp denied that Trump is a conservative. In another post, Wamp warned that Trump, as president, would likely derail the national economy and spark a recession. In another post, Wamp predicted that the former president would demolish the Republican Party.
Wamp wrote in The Chattanoogan opinion column that he voted for Trump.
“Trump was disruptive to the Washington political class. His disregard for political correctness was entertaining, refreshing and, in many cases, effective. However, his frequent personal insults posed a conflict for conservative parents of young children, particularly those of us raising daughters,” Wamp wrote.
“Trump’s version of conservatism is closer to national populism than traditional conservatism. He led a movement like none other in my lifetime. But traditional American conservatism cannot be separated from the principles of fiscal conservatism.”
The Chattanooga Times Free Press identified Wamp as a GOP candidate for Hamilton County mayor who is running against fellow Republicans Matt Hullander and Sabrena Smedley.
Hullander, according to his campaign website, is an entrepreneur and serves on the boards of various business ventures, many of which he said supports local start-up companies.
Smedley, according to her campaign website, is a broker and owns Sabrena Realty Associates.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star and The Georgia Star News. Follow Chris on Facebook, Twitter, Parler, and GETTR. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Weston Wamp” by Weston Wamp. Background Photo “Weston Wamp Twitter” by Weston Wamp.
