A public humanities professor called the exchange "utterly disheartening." A Tennessee GOP lawmaker recently lashed out at a journalist , saying he’d “bust” his face over questions about a bill he introduced that would change how state agencies describe the West Bank. One professor in public humanities says the moment highlights a wider “transition toward a fascist state.” A clip of the exchange was filmed by journalist Justin Kanew, the founder of progressive news site The Tennessee Holler.