Tuberville reports former CIA director Hayden to Capitol Police over tweet

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) reported former CIA Director Michael Hayden to the Capitol Police on Tuesday over the former general’s tweet suggesting the lawmaker should be removed “from the human race.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking if the senator should be removed from the Senate Armed Services Committee due to placing holds on military promotions, Hayden responded Monday saying “how about the human race”?

Tuberville characterized the tweet as promoting “politically motivated assassination.”

“This statement is disgusting and it is repugnant to everything we believe in as Americans,” Tuberville said in a statement Tuesday. “Given General Hayden’s long career in Washington, he must have known that, by making such a statement, he was committing a serious crime. His own efforts today to reinterpret what he said are only a tacit admission of guilt.”

Tuberville added that his office has reported the incident to Capitol Police and added: “I expect that they will once again do an excellent job protecting members of Congress and bringing criminals to justice.”

Hayden, a CNN national security analyst, doubled down his take in another post on X on Tuesday morning.

“I was surprised to wake up this morning and discover that many MAGAnuts had lost their minds over my suggestion that ‘Coach’ Tuberville not be considered a member of the human race,” Hayden said. “I stand by that view.  I’m wishing you all a nice day even the intransigent Tommy Tuberville.” 

Tuberville has come under fire from current and former military leaders over his hold on military promotions that began in February, in protest of the Pentagon policy that covers travel expenses for service members who are seeking abortion care.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is seen during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, September 28, 2023. (Mattie Neretin)

The Alabama senator and former Auburn University head football coach has refused to lift the hold, even as the Pentagon says it is undermined military readiness and morale. More than 300 service members’ promotions and nominations are halted due to the dispute.

The Senate can still hold votes on individual promotions or nominations, as it did for a trio of top military leaders last month, but the separate votes eat up hours of valuable floor time compared to the usual package votes.

Tuberville’s statement Tuesday expressed surprise at Hayden’s comments.

“I am not a politician, and when I came to Washington, I did not expect to be popular among the clown show; but I certainty did not expect to be lied about on the Senate floor and threatened by former government officials like Michael Hayden,” Tuberville said. “Anyone who actually cares about our country must go on the record and condemn his reckless statements.”

This is not the first time that Hayden has gone after Tuberville.

Hayden tweeted in May that Tuberville is an “idiot,” in response to the senator’s questioning of Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines over the U.S. support of Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

In response to another tweet in September, Hayden said Tuberville is racist.

Hayden was also among dozens of former State Department and military officials who signed an open letter calling on Tuberville to end his hold on promotions.

“These vacancies will deprive our Armed Forces of leadership, adversely affecting readiness and morale,” they wrote. “At a time when we face urgent and increasing threats from foreign adversaries, we cannot afford to undercut our military’s ability to protect our security interests.”

The Hill has reached out to Capitol Police and Hayden for comment.