Activist’s Support Sen. Marsha Blackburns Crusade Against “Cultural Rot”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Michael Lotfi, the Deputy Director of Americans For Prosperity Tennessee, took to Facebook this week to publicly commend Marsha Blackburn for her swift response to what he called “cultural rot” in Tennessee’s public schools and universities.

 

Lotfi’s post claims that Blackburn was the only gubernatorial candidate who immediately and visibly stepped in after Lotfi first exposed social media posts from professors and teachers allegedly celebrating the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. He said that within minutes of his tweet on X, Blackburn’s team reached out, promising action and coordination with university presidents and school superintendents statewide.

“Her team reached out within moments of my first tweet … letting them know she has zero tolerance for this trash,” Lotfi wrote. “If not for her weight, I cannot say we would’ve succeeded where we have.”

 

He further asserted that while other public figures remained silent or only acknowledged the issue after the fact, Blackburn led from the front through staying informed, making calls, and pushing for accountability.

 

The post has become a rallying point among Blackburn’s supporters, who see Lotfi’s testimony as evidence of her leadership style and her readiness to step into controversial issues.

 

Blackburn is not the only Tennessee official who has spoken out about various state university employees spreading hateful messages about the late Charlie Kirk. University of Tennessee Knoxville Professor Tamar Shirinian commented on Facebook saying, “His kids are better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath like him and his wife, well, shes a sick f**k for marrying him so I dont care about her feelings.” Leading to a repost from Rep. Tim Burchett saying he was “on it,” while Rep. Jason Zachary said he had spoken with UT System President Randy Boyd about her removal from staff. Gov. Bill Lee also commented on the situation, “I’m grateful to all of TN’s university leaders who are taking appropriate action,” and asked the public to continue praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and for healing in the nation.