Tuberville’s controversies stoke his popularity in Alabama

Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) battles in Washington have only boosted his political standing in Alabama as he tries to swat away swirling rumors back home that he may not run for a second term in the Senate. 

Tuberville has been a lightning rod in Washington for much of the year. His hold on military promotions recently hit the five-month mark, and he tossed gas on the fire last week when he took issue with the definition of “white nationalist,” which drew bipartisan condemnation and put him in the center of a political storm yet again. 

But Republicans from across the political spectrum told The Hill these battles have done nothing to hurt his standing in Alabama. Rather, his battle with the Pentagon over its abortion policy and newfound position as a foil for President Biden have strengthened his hand.

“I think he’s doing better because of it,” said Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.), noting that Alabama is largely anti-abortion and a deep red state. “They love the fact that he’s standing [up]. … I think that coach is going to benefit from it.”

The White House and administration officials have tried to up the pressure on the Alabama Republican in an effort to break the logjam of military nominations that is approaching 300, but there is little light at the end of that tunnel. Tuberville and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke about the holds last week, with the senator noting that they will likely do so again this week. 

At the same time, the president has been taking consistent public shots at Tuberville. Biden recently called him a “better coach than he’s a senator,” referring to his 21 years as a college football head coach, and has said his holds are “bizarre.”

Tuberville’s seeming imperviousness to the attacks have garnered comparisons to former Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who was a preeminent conservative voice for decades and who was defeated by Tuberville in the 2020 primary.

“[His standing has] gotten better. His approval is already pretty high, but now he’s just Sessions 2.0,” said Jeff Poor, a conservative radio host based in Mobile. “The guy is willing to take a stand.”

“You talk to party chairmen in the counties, and they have nothing bad to say about him. There were a lot of questions about Tommy Tuberville in 2020. What was he going to be like? And what he has done has been kind of remarkable. He’s won over the skeptical,” Poor said.

Tuberville told The Hill that he has received “good” feedback from Alabamians throughout the last couple of months, specifically noting support from veterans in the state and elsewhere. 

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That support has not stretched to the upper ranks of the military, however. Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., whom Biden has tapped to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, argued last week that the military will “lose talent” due to Tuberville’s ongoing blockade, and that military readiness will be affected. 

The battles Tuberville has been waging in Washington have prompted rumors that he may be planning to exit the Senate after a single term in office. Four GOP sources told The Hill of chatter emanating from Alabama that he might call it quits. 

Poor noted that Tuberville has been “playing too fast and loose” with his recent actions and remarks, a sign he could be on the way out. 

Tuberville shot down that idea. In a brief interview, the former Auburn University football coach said some supporters have pushed for him to run for governor in 2026 instead, but he insisted that he plans on seeking a second term in the upper chamber. 

“Oh yeah, I’m running. I’m running,” Tuberville said. “They want me to run for governor. I ain’t doing that. I like it up here. I like this because you can hit it hard, and you can affect not just your state but all of the country. You got a lot of say-so about different things.”

“I don’t want to do this, and all of the sudden I get my feet on the ground and then not do it. I’m not going to, obviously, stay forever,” he added. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is seen during a Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing for U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles Brown to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

One Alabama GOP source, however, was quick to note Tuberville’s penchant for pulling about-faces during his college football career, including when he took jobs at Auburn and the University of Cincinnati. 

Despite his reelection plans, Tuberville has notably not made fundraising a priority. As of the end of June, he has $286,000 in the bank — though Republican operatives don’t see it as a major concern, given the difficulty anyone would have in a primary against Tuberville, Alabama’s ruby-red hue and his ability to cut himself a check to fill any shortfall.

Senate Republicans have been searching for an offramp for months to end Tuberville’s hold on military nominations, but have come up empty-handed at every turn. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he disagrees with the action but has sidestepped Democratic calls to punish Tuberville or pressure him further in a bid to release the holds. 

Tuberville has shown no willingness to back down. 

“Sports is such a great illustration for politics, because everybody in the stadium is smarter than the people in charge, and they express things, and it’s a rough world. … There’s nothing about this pressure cooker that he hasn’t seen probably in spades by comparison,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told The Hill. “When you come here as a celebrity, you’ve already been through a gauntlet that this is almost minor compared to.” 

“He’s undaunted by the pressure that everybody feels like they’re putting on him,” Cramer said. “Some people can fake it pretty well. I don’t think he is the least bit concerned about it.”