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“I’m upset by this. I think it’s really bad for democracy, and I’m a fan of yours. So I don’t like it. And I don’t get the criticism of stand and fight. Why would you fight when they changed the district and there aren’t enough votes for you to win? That’s silly. But I just wanted to give you a couple of minutes to tell people what you think this means for the democracy. Where are we?” Cuomo asked.
In response, Cohen argued that recent redistricting efforts were part of a broader political strategy that has been unfolding across multiple states, with both parties engaging in map-drawing efforts when opportunities arise.
“What the Republicans did, and the Democrats did a little bit in response, is to try to get an advantage this year, mid-decade. Redistricting is almost never done. And Tennessee had a statute making it legal since 1971.” Cohen said.
Cohen went further, directly tying the Republican-led redistricting effort to political influence from President Donald Trump. He suggested that Tennessee’s Republican leadership altered longstanding legal standards under political pressure, though those claims were presented as his personal interpretation during the interview.
“The first thing they had to do was to repeal that statute that had been on the books for 54 years, because Donald Trump called the governor of Tennessee and said, I want one more seat,” Cohen said. “And the governor complied. The governor is term-limited. He didn’t have a job come January. He didn’t want to go back to the heating and air conditioning business. He wants to get a job from Donald Trump. As an ambassador, cabinet member, or agency head. And so he gets that. Trump gets another Republican who’ll be a lackey.”
As the interview neared its conclusion, Cohen became visibly emotional while discussing his departure from Congress and what he described as the loss of a district he felt deeply connected to. His voice broke as he reflected on his long service and the communities that supported him.
“You know, it’s funny, my press conference today is the most cameras I think I’ve had since the Victoria incident. And here we are again. And I got tears.” Cohen said, referring to a past personal controversy involving a woman who once claimed to be his daughter but was later proven not to be through a paternity test.
Cuomo responded sympathetically, pointing to Cohen’s decades of public service and the emotional weight of leaving office after such a long tenure.
“You’re crying because you know what your service meant to that community, and that they needed it, especially in that state, and it was taken, and was unfair, just like what happened with Victoria,” Cuomo said.
Despite the emotional moment, Cohen praised his constituents and reflected on what he described as strong long-term support, particularly from Black voters in his district. He emphasized the relationships he built over nearly 20 years in office.
“I’ve got a great district, wonderful people. They’ve supported me so well,” Cohen told Cuomo. “You know, it’s an amazing thing that the African-American community supported me for 20 years as they did. And the Republicans don’t see it, and they just tear it apart because they have no perspective of caring about African-Americans or caring about people getting together and anything nice that happens. It’s a tough sport, and they play it tough.”
WATCH:
With his reelection campaign now off the table, Cohen’s emotional exit marks the end of a long chapter in Tennessee politics, closing out a career that spanned shifting district lines, national political battles, and an increasingly polarized congressional landscape.
