GOP senator says calling white nationalists racist is an ‘opinion’
Chuck Schumer says ‘The senator from Alabama is wrong, wrong, wrong’
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Sen Tommy Tuberville has doubled down on his defence of white nationalists serving in the US military, saying that labeling them as racist is an “opinion”.
In a CNN interview on Monday, host Kaitlan Collins asked the Alabama Republican about comments he made in May when a WBHM host asked him about white nationalists serving in the military and he said “well, they call them that, I call them Americans.”
Mr Tuberville stood by those remarks even when presented with the definition of a white nationalist as someone who believes white people are superior to other races. He replied: “Well, that’s some people’s opinion.”
The senator insisted he is opposed to any type of racism, saying he deals with people of multiple races, but said that Democrats attacked the US military after the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. He also criticised remarks from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about white nationalism.
“I thought it was I thought it was outrageous of what senators from the Democratic side, Chuck Schumer said on the floor that night calling out people calling people racist, calling people nationalists, white nationalists, white nationalists, is just another word that they want to use, other than racism,” he said.
“I'm totally against anything to do with racism. But the thing about being a white nationalist is just a cover word for the Democrats now where they can use it to try to make people mad across the country with identity politics. I'm totally against that.”
Ms Collins pressed if he agreed that white nationalists should serve in the US military.
“If people think that a white nationalist is racist, I agree with that,” he said. “My opinion of a white nationalist, if someone wants to call them white nationalists, to me is an American. Now, if that white nationalist is a racist, I'm totally against anything that they want to do, because I am 110 per cent against racism.”
On Tuesday, Mr Schumer criticised Mr Tuberville’s remarks in a Senate floor speech.
“The senator from Alabama is wrong, wrong, wrong,” he said. “The definition of white nationalism is not a matter of opinion.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments