This week, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) fumbled comments about white supremacy in the military. According to Tuberville, white nationalists are nothing more than Americans and blamed Democrats for saying there were “too many white extremists, white nationalists, people that don’t believe in our agenda, as Joe Biden’s agenda.” Since then, he’s tried to “clarify” the comments.
At first, he engaged an NBC News reporter where he asked how one defines a white nationalist. He then claimed he was just being sarcastic. Finally, he moved on to another topic, complaining about people calling supporters of Donald Trump white nationalists.
Speaking to MSNBC on Sunday, former Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), who lost to Tuberville, explained that the former football coach wasn’t the most well-informed lawmaker in the Senate.
\u201cThis was a man that, when he was running for the U.S. Senate, did not even know what the Voting Rights Act was,” said Jones. “He thought it was some kind of security issue or something for elections.\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to get somebody to walk back and clarify when they really have no clue about what they\u2019re talking,\u201d Jones explained.
He explained that it isn’t a complicated issue for most people in Alabama.
“It’s only complicated by the fact that he’s putting a hold on all of these nominations,” Jones said. It was a reference to Tuberville’s refusal to allow any military leader to be promoted. It’s a bipartisan bill that simply approves people moving from one leadership post to another. Tuberville opposes military promotions but has never been able to fully explain why.
“You cannot simply do what he did as a coach and coach athletes who happen to be athletes of color and claim to be some form of progressive in favor of civil rights,” Jones also said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n