Sen. Tommy Tuberville Wants You To Know (Again) That White Nationalists Are People Too

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is still struggling to deliver an appropriate response to questions over whether he supports white nationalism. During an on-air interview with CNN, the Alabama lawmaker was asked point-blank about past comments he’s made defending white nationalists’ rights to serve in the military. The easy way out for Tuberville would’ve been to string together a couple of words that amounted to “white nationalism bad.” But of course, he couldn’t do that.

Instead, Tuberville spent his time arguing with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins over the very definition of white nationalism, claiming Democrats were just trying to insult patriotic Americans with their tired game of “identity politics.”

“My opinion of a white nationalist … is an American,” Tuberville responded when Collins tried to define the term. “Now, if that white nationalist is a racist, I’m totally against anything they want to do because I am 110% against racism.”

Phew, glad that cleared things up.

Despite Tuberville insisting multiple times that he was “totally” against racism, the senator seemed to chafe at the idea that white nationalists — a group of people whose ideology centers around the belief that white people are superior and should rule over all others and also not be forced to live among non-whites — are, in fact, racist. In fact, at one point during the argument, Tuberville equated all white people with white nationalists.

“If you’re going to do away with white people in the military, we got huge problems,” Tuberville began before Collins tried to explain that “it’s not people who are white, it’s white nationalists.”

“You see the distinction?” she asked.

Tuberville didn’t. In fact, he argued white nationalists simply had a few different beliefs. But again, if those beliefs were in support of racism, he’s totally against that, y’all.

Watch the full clip below:

And, if you’d like to watch Tuberville do more mental gymnastics in front of a group of reporters who once again pressed him on the white nationalism topic Monday, there’s this:

(Via USA Today)