The U.S. Senate is known for its exclusivity and every member is expected to represent the institution. However, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama falls short in this regard, as he struggles to condemn racists without defending them at the same time.
Not only is Tuberville a senator, but he has also become the face of the Republican party’s campaign against “wokeness” in the military. It’s not surprising, considering that when you start distorting the meanings of “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion,” you attract individuals like Tuberville, who seemingly doesn’t understand the concept of “white nationalism.”
In May, Tuberville expressed his disdain for “woke ideas” in the military and even mentioned the need to remove white extremists and nationalists. However, when asked if he believed white nationalists should be in the military, he referred to them as “Americans.”
Since then, Tuberville has been trying to navigate the racist implications of his statements. He claims to be against bigotry but insists that labeling white nationalists as racists is a fabrication by the Democratic party.
Tuberville is not the first Republican to play with the term “nationalist” in this way. Former President Donald Trump also used this word, which is often associated with white supremacists and conspiracy theories related to Jewish people, to distinguish himself from “globalists.” Trump’s defenders argued that there is a difference between being a nationalist and a white nationalist.
While there may be a distinction, it seems that Tuberville, like Trump, fails to grasp this nuance. He cannot simply condemn racism and leave it at that. The last time we saw such wavering on the issue of bigotry was in 2017 when Trump stated that there were “very fine people on both sides” of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
What makes Tuberville’s actions a national concern is his use of senatorial power to delay high-level military appointments, including the commandant of the Marine Corps and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His objective is to prevent military funds from being used for abortions when the local state laws do not allow it. Military leaders, past and present, warn that Tuberville’s obstruction of promotions could discourage officers from staying in the military.
This issue goes beyond Tuberville; it is part of a broader Republican narrative in Congress. Just recently, Representative Elise Stefanik, chair of the Republican conference, pledged to eliminate the “woke failed Far Left policies” that Democrats have allegedly imposed on the Department of Defense and the armed forces. Stefanik does not provide a clear definition of these policies, but it’s reasonable to assume that she and many of her colleagues share Tuberville’s concerns about combating extremism and promoting diversity in the military. Tuberville simply lacks the discretion to keep these beliefs to himself.
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