WASHINGTON — Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, reiterated his belief that a white nationalist is simply “American,” taking issue with a CNN anchor’s assertion that all white nationalists are, by definition, racist.
Tuberville made the comments in an interview on CNN’s “The Source” with host Kaitlan Collins when asked to clarify comments he made in a radio interview in May in which he appeared to defend white nationalists by suggesting that they not it should prohibit them from serving in the military. .
“First of all, I am totally against any kind of racist,” Tuberville said Monday, adding that he coached football for 40 years and was surrounded by many people of color during that time.
The senator accused Democratic lawmakers of engaging in “identity politics” by using the term “white nationalist” as “just another word they want to use besides racism.”
Collins, however, pressed Tuberville again on whether he thinks white nationalists should be allowed to serve in the US military.
“If people think that a white nationalist is racist, I’m okay with that,” Tuberville said.
“A white nationalist is someone who believes that the white race is superior to other races,” Collins responded.
Tuberville took issue with his definition, saying it was just “some people’s opinion”.
“My take on a white nationalist, if anyone wants to call him a white nationalist, to me he is an American. He is an American,” he said. “Now if that white nationalist is racist, I’m totally against anything they want to do, because I’m 110% against racism.”
Tuberville later said, “If you’re going to remove most of the whites in this country from the military, we’ve got big problems.”
Collins said that people were not advocating getting rid of “people who are white” but simply white nationalists. Tuberville responded that they were people “who have some beliefs, probably different ones.”
“Now if racism is one of those beliefs, I am totally against it,” he added. “I am totally against racism.”
Collins again asserted that a white nationalist is a racist.
“Well, that’s your opinion. That’s your opinion,” he said. “If it’s racism, I’m totally against it.”
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning, Tuberville was again asked to clarify his comments.
“I am totally against racism,” he said. “If the Democrats say a white nationalist, where they said, well, that’s the definition, then I’m totally against white nationalists…everyone has a difference, but I’m not going to get into definitions, but I’m totally against any form of racism, they always have been”.
When asked if people were arguing over definitions, Tuberville said, “There’s nobody less racist in this building than me.”
Liz Brown-Kaiser contributed.
