College Senator Asked To Step Down After Pro-Trump Chalking; Party President Pictured At Trump Speech

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – A chalk drawing on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus has turned into a national movement, including calling for a removal of a student government Senator by her own political party.

The drawing supported Donald Trump’s presidential bid, and sparked a lot of negative reaction on campus; it was painted around the school’s seal embedded in the sidewalk.

The drawings read, “Make American Great Again,” “Trump 2016,” along with “Build A Wall” and even a complete rendering of Trump’s signature “make America great again” hat.

Hailey Puckett, a member of “Empower UTC” was asked for her resignation by the organization after she posted photos on Twitter of her participation in the chalk drawings; Puckett was elected in a landslide election just last week.

To put it into perspective, the campus’ Student Government Association has elected representatives called Senators, just like U.S. Senators. Those senators run on platforms, just like political candidates. Each year, those hoping to place their bid to be elected form a group, similar to a political party; Empower UTC is one of those parties.

“It’s just so racist, and I feel if you want your candidate to win, you don’t have to publicize the negativity they stand for,” said student Camielle Smith.

It’s the same as the GOP asking Donald Trump to step aside, the only difference is that Puckett was actually elected and waiting to be sworn into office.

“You can support Trump all you want, but as a student representative, if you’re drawing a wall, that you could want some kind of decisiveness among campus,” student Alese Taylor said.

Empower called for the resignation in a press release posted on Twitter.

“We do not support bigotry or hatred or the messages spread by Donald Trump’s ignorance,” read the release. “We do not support those who bask in that ignorance.”

Instagram/PhillipCStubblefield

The press release was signed by “EmpowerUTC,” who’s president is Phillip Stubblefield. A photo has surfaced of Stubblefield, who posted on his Instagram account in October 2015, sitting behind Trump at a speech in New Hampshire.

News 12 tried multiple times to reach out to Puckett, who refused to return our calls. Speaking with her sorority sisters, we were told that she was “at work” and would not be talking to the media.

“Doing it on the student seal, may imply that the school condones Trump’s messages,” graduate student Dustin Graham expressed.

The Student Government Association — the same as the U.S. Senate as a whole body — released their own press release saying they had not called for the resignation.

“To clarify the confusion regarding the call for resignation of a newly elected senator, the UTC SGA has not asked the Senator-elect ti resign,” the release read. “We thank students for being engaged in the conversation and encourage them to talk to us and the administration about values of inclusivity [sic] and diversity on our campus.”

“It offended some people,” said Keller Maple, a student on campus.

The Trump writings were erased with water and covered up by a group known as “#BlackUTC” in an effort to rid the campus of the artwork.

The university said they support the freedom of expression, but discourage defacing other’s chalk drawings.

Calls and emails to Donald Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, went un-returned.