Tommy Tuberville

Tommy Tuberville

Thomas Hawley Tuberville (/ˈtʌbərvɪl/ TUB-ər-vil; born September 18, 1954) is an American politician and retired college football coach who is the senior United States senator from Alabama, a seat he has held since 2021. Before entering politics, Tuberville was the head football coach at Auburn University from 1999 to 2008. He was also the head football coach at the University of Mississippi from 1995 to 1998, Texas Tech University from 2010 to 2012, and the University of Cincinnati from 2013 to 2016.

Quotes

• Q: Do you believe they should allow white nationalists in the military?
  A: Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.
  We are losing in the military so fast. And why? I can tell you why. Because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that don't believe in our agenda, as Joe Biden's agenda.
  • Interview on Birmingham, Alabama station WBHM (8 March 2023), as cited in "Schumer decries Republican senator’s ‘revolting’ remarks on white nationalists" The Guardian (May 11, 2023)

• The Democrats characterize all MAGA Republicans in the military as white nationalists, wrong. Wrong. OK? [...] We can't get politics in the military. This has nothing to do with extremists.
  • From a conversation with reporters (May 11, 2023) in the Capitol building in Washington D.C., as cited in "GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville tries to clear up comments on white nationalists" CBS News (May 11, 2023)

• I look at a white nationalist as a Trump Republican. That's what we're called all the time, a MAGA person. [...] I agree that we should not be characterizing Trump supporters as white nationalists.
  • From a conversation with reporters (May 11, 2023) in the Capitol building in Washington D.C., as cited in "GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville tries to clear up comments on white nationalists" CBS News (May 11, 2023)

• My opinion of a white nationalist — if somebody wants to call them a white nationalist — to me, is an American. It's an American. Now, if that white nationalist is a racist, I’m totally against anything that they want to do, because I am 110% against racism.
  • From an interview with Kaitlan Collins on The Source (CNN) as cited in Rebecca Shabad (July 11, 2023). "GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville disputes defining white nationalists as racist". nbcnews.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2023. 

• [Told white nationalism is a form of racism] Well, that's your opinion. That's your opinion [...] If it's racism, I'm totally against it.
  • From an interview with Kaitlan Collins on The Source (CNN) as cited in Rebecca Shabad (July 11, 2023). "GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville disputes defining white nationalists as racist". nbcnews.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2023. 

• If people don’t go to jail for this, the American people should just stand up and say, ‘Listen, enough’s enough, let’s don’t have elections anymore. I wish there was a special investigation into the voter fraud, but it was outrageous what happened, but nobody wanted to look into it because they were afraid they were going to be called out. But it is what it is. I hate that it happened.
  • Reacting to the Durham Report on John Bachman Now on Newsmax, May. 16, 2023 ("Tuberville on Durham report: ‘If people don’t go to jail ... let’s don’t have elections anymore’". Alabama Media Group. May. 16, 2023. Retrieved on November 24, 2023.  Chait, Jonathan (May 16, 2023). "John Durham Shows ‘Lock Her Up’ Politics Were Never About Real Crimes Republicans want to send people to jail after Durham finds no crimes.". New York. }

About Tommy Tuberville

• Last night, given another chance to clear the air, he suggested that, no, White nationalists aren’t inherently racist. That yes, White nationalism is American. And that the definition of White nationalism is a matter of opinion. It’s hard to believe that the senator from Alabama has to be corrected again. The senator from Alabama is wrong, wrong, wrong. The definition of White nationalism is not a matter of opinion.
  • Senator Chuck Schumer, Rashard Rose (July 11, 2023). "Tuberville refuses to denounce White nationalism in military, doubles down on past comments". CNN. Retrieved on July 11, 2023.