Tuberville on white nationalists in the military: 'I call them Americans'
By: al
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said there should be no efforts to block different ideological groups, including white nationalists, from serving in the military and criticized President Joe Biden for taking steps to remove them even as concerns about extremism in the military dates back to the Trump administration.
Tuberville, a staunch supporter of the military and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the comments in a Monday interview with WBHM, a National Public Radio station in Birmingham.
Asked if he believed white nationalists should be allowed to serve in the military, Tuberville said in referring to the Biden administration, "They call them that. I call them Americans."
Tuberville also said in the interview that singling out any ideological group is detrimental to the military.
"We are losing in the military so fast," Tuberville told WBHM. "Our readiness in terms of recruitment. And why? I'll 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. They're destroying it. This year, we will not reach any recruiting goals in the military. So if we want to talk about looking weak, that's where we're going to look weak. We cannot start putting rules in there for one type, one group and make different factions in the military, because that is the most important institution in the United States of America, and our allies, is a strong, hard-nosed, killing machine, which is called our military."
Tuberville's office issued a statement Wednesday to AL.com to clarify the senator's comments.
"Sen. Tuberville's quote that is cited shows that he was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military," the statement from a spokesperson said. "He believes the men and women in uniform are patriots. (Defense) Secretary (Lloyd) Austin seems to think otherwise, subjecting them to extremism training as his very first act in office. That cost us four million man hours."
While Tuberville is skeptical that there are white nationalists in the military, it's a concern that traces to the Trump administration. CQ Roll Call reported in February 2021 about a Pentagon report released in October 2020 that "paints a stark picture of white supremacist inroads in the U.S. military."
The report also outlined steps the military was taking to remove them from the armed services and measures to keep them out. CQ Roll Call described the Pentagon report as saying extremism is a "threat" but to what degree was not clear but there were concerns about possible violence and endangered morale.
A defense department press release on Jan. 14, 2021 - a week after the insurgence at the U.S. Capitol attempting to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election and in the final days of the Trump presidency - included the headline "No place in DOD for extremism, white supremacy, officials say."
"We … are doing everything we can to eliminate extremism in the Department of Defense," Gary Reed, the director for defense intelligence and counterintelligence, law enforcement and security, said in the press release. "DOD policy expressly prohibits military personnel from actively advocating supremacist, extremist or criminal gang doctrine, ideology or causes."
Tuberville, in the interview, focused his criticism on Biden and Austin, the defense secretary.
"We, our military and Secretary Austin put out an order to stand down and all military across the country, saying we're going to run out the white nationalists, people that don't believe how we believe," Tuberville said. "And that's not how we do it in this country. We have got so much division up here (in Washington) that, not for the country. You know, this is not for any individual, this country. This country is for all of us. And we're all the same. It doesn't make any difference if you're rich, poor, black, white. It doesn't make any difference. Everybody's an American, has opportunity to make this country better. We've made it 247 years. But I'm going to tell you what, we're walking a tightrope right now, at how much longer this country is going to make it, as we all know it."
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I think this guy played too much football without a helmet. On one hand he says that , in defense of white nationalists in the military, that "all" groups should be accepted so we can keep the recruitment numbers up. On the other hand he says he doesnt think there are any white nationalists in the military.
He should just be ignored.
The jerk had this to say about Trump's sexual abuse verdict:
Alabama replaced an outstanding public servant, Doug Jones, with a brain dead idiot. It doesn't say much for Alabama voters.
Jones is a decent human being. Can't have that in this day and age.
That it dated back to Trump is a bunch of BS! I served from 1973 through 1993 and there were extremists there in one form or another throughout that whole period.
You're absolutely right
You honestly think that these groups are brand new in the military since 2016? THAT my friend is true delusion. TrueDelusionSyndrome
TDS is real, very real.
The thing we agree on today
I never knew any people that belong to cults like this but I saw my fair share of racists
Just how do you define what a white nationalist is?
What about all the radical blacks in the military.
As someone who ejculates into their My Pillow every time Tucker flogs his 'replacement theory'.
The same guy is holding up the promotions of numerous military officers because he doesn't like the military stance on abortion.
So now White Nationalists are ok and he considers them Americans. That is great perhaps he can recruit KKK members, Proud Boys, League of the South, Skinheads Boogaloo Boys, hell let's get a mix in the military.
I suppose he knows all this from his time in the military, oh wait.
No, what he knows is football coaching. I also think he has some expertise in NASCAR, golf, hunting and fishing, but not much in the military.
You would think that not being racist in the military wouldn’t be a controversial idea.
Got news for you. Folks in our military are normal people. With the same issues and problems as any other group. An expectation of no extremism is no more realistic than it would be for any other group of Americans.
Sounds more like you’re endorsing tolerance of extremism.
Not at all. I’m simply pointing out reality.
The expectation that no extremism would be present in such a large and diverse group as the US military, is simply just obtuse.
OK well I didn’t say anything about what I expect.
Okay, I’m not sure what your point was then. Do you think their expectation is to recruit racists?
I can tell you that it is not.
100%
I think you can understand that it happens, but you should - IMO - at least wish for a military without white supremacists in it. You might even take intentional steps to avoid recruiting such people in the first place. Unless we are desperate for bodies in a war situation (and right now, we’re not), I see no reason to take in the worst of the worst if we can prevent it.
That’s my point.
It’s going to happen no matter how hard they try to thwart it. I can promise you this much. They do not want extremists in the US military.
Period.
And having served i for one don’t need the least bit of convincing as to the righteousness of that position.
But thanks for the thought.
And so should everyone wish the same of black nationalists and racists in our military.
After I retired, I went back to Japan to visit my son, who was stationed there. At the time, the Kitty Hawk had replaced the Independence as the carrier present, and for a few days, the entire ship was on lock down because of black gang members that came to the ship from San Diego were causing problems both with some whites and Japanese.
The ship rooted out 5 of them, court martialed them and sent them back to the states. It probably wasn't all of them.
It’s hard, so let’s not even try? That’s either loser talk, or defense of racism.
Whataboutism? Why is that necessary? The seed isn’t even about black nationalists.
Will you only come out against white supremacists if the rest of us take on the black racists first? Why hesitate? Are you worried about the white supremacists being treated with enough respect or something?
Why do we have to play these games? This should be very straightforward. You’re either for racism or against it. Is it really so hard to muster up the fortitude to say it would be nice if we didn’t have white supremacists in our military?
You are still arguing about nothing but you have a nice day now ya hear!
Because the left constantly focuses on one aspect, and not all of the aspects of nationalism.
Today, for instance, when legitimate news sources were covering the very near future collapse of the southern border, MSDNC was broadcasting some idiotic story about white nationalism
The number of black nationalists are about the same as the white ones, but the left only wants to concentrate on the comparatively minuscule numbers of the white nationalism;
Why is that, do you think?
Agreed. But the seed is about white nationalism. And I don’t think it should be like pulling teeth to get anyone to say they’d rather not have white supremacists in the military.
Do you have data that supports that?
The Department of Homeland Security reports that White Supremacists represent the greatest terror threat to the United States. Don’t you think that might warrant a little extra concern and conversation?
No it doesn't.
There have been numerous studies and research on the threat of ''white nationalism'' in the military. It is a problem no matter the whataboutism going on. Of the recently convicted Proud Boys, four of the five were prior US military there have been a number of convictions of prior military participating in 1/6.
To not acknowledge that it exists is truly wearing rose-colored glasses and everyone should be aware and do what we can to eliminate it in our armed forces.
I currently have four close relatives serving in the military, two of them are lifers and both have 15 or more years of active duty and in speaking to them they are well aware of it in the military and have personally seen and dealt with it.
In my time on active duty, I saw plenty of it but back in the day we just called them racists assholes