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
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
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.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments