Tennessee GOP leader survives no-confidence vote amid racy social media controversy

A Tennessee Republican leader has survived a no-confidence vote after revelations surfaced that he repeatedly posted on the Instagram pages of a young gay model, among others who identify as LGBTQ.

On Monday, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s GOP Senate colleagues by a 19-7 margin voted to allow the embattled 79-year-old to keep his job, which also includes serving as the state Senate’s speaker.

The staunch conservative who earlier this month backed a law that will criminalize certain drag performances has been facing allegations of hypocrisy after commenting and leaving emojis deemed flirtatious by some on 20-year-old Franklin McClure’s Instagram page.

McNally has posted more than 80 comments on McClure’s photos since June 2020, NBC News reports. His most recent comment was on Feb. 26.

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McNally has since apologized for his social media activity, indicating he didn’t intend to embarrass his friends, relatives and colleagues, according to the report, and said he plans to pause his social media activity after previously saying “had no intention of stopping.”

“I have always been honored, humbled and grateful for the support of my caucus. I remain so today,” McNally said in a statement Monday. “We have a lot of important work left to do as we complete the legislative session, including the budget. I look forward to getting to it.”

In 2020 he shared a post that implied support for violence against Black Lives Matters protesters, and in 2021 he faced backlash after voting against the removal of the bust of a former Ku Klux Klan leader.