Mayor Glenn Jacobs of Knox County, Tenn. — who is also known by his WWE ring name Kane — is under fire for posting an inflammatory video targeting the county's board of health.
According to Knox News, board member Dr. Maria Hurt called out Jacobs during a routine board meeting for posting the video, saying that, after it was posted, her children called her to ensure that she was safe. "My neighbors, both Republicans and Democrats, patrol my neighborhood to make sure people aren't harassing us," she said.
Jacobs said he was sorry the board members were threatened by the video, which was quickly taken down after it was posted, but did not apologize for the video itself. He also said that it was not meant to be public.
The video begins with the preamble to the Declaration of Independence before cutting to protest scenes. "Today this foundation is under attack. Not from some enemy abroad, but from sinister forces within," Jacobs says. It then shows the faces of the Knox County Board of Health. "Unelected bureaucrats who cast down edicts which carry the force of law with no accountability and no recourse," Jacobs continues.
Hurt was not the only one who felt scared after seeing the video. "As a military officer who has sworn to defend this country, I felt threatened by what I saw," board member Dr. Patrick O'Brien said. "This division has got to stop. We're in this together. We'll do what we can based on science ... if others want to go some other way or want to do it shooting from the hip, so be it. You will reap what you sow."
Director of the Knox County Health Department Dr. Martha Buchanan said that public health officials, who are currently trying to contain the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, have seen an increase in social media threats since the video was released.
Jacobs has been wrestling with the WWE since 1995, and continues to make sporadic appearances. His character Kane is the younger half-brother of The Undertaker. Known as the Brothers of Destruction, they were often seen fighting against each other and as partners. Jacobs last wrestled in a September 2019 episode of Raw.
Jacobs ran for his mayorship in 2018 as a Republican, defeating Brad Anders and Bob Thomas in the Republican primary and Democrat Linda Haney in the general election.