Last week, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) was exposed for wishing Rep. Marsha Blackburn would jump off the Harahan Bridge in Memphis during a campaign prayer breakfast for Phil Bredesen. But on Sunday’s Fox17 Nashville In Focus, Democratic consultant John Rowley defended Cohen, calling his comments “totally inbounds” since “Steve Cohen knows Marsha Blackburn can swim.”

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden released the following statement:

“There’s nothing ‘inbounds’ about wishing for someone’s suicide, especially at a prayer breakfast, despite what Steve Cohen and his defenders may say. The unfortunate reality is that one Tennessean takes their own life every 8 hours. For Phil Bredesen and his supporters to casually dismiss the harmful rhetoric coming from Steve Cohen is incredibly disappointing. Tennesseans want and deserve better.”