Tommy Tuberville Says Trump ‘Disappointed He Was Indicted’
Senator Tommy Tuberville skipped a vote on Tuesday to fly to Bedminster and be with President Trump on the day of his arrest — which he says is “disappointed” but in good spirits.
Tuberville said he was the only senator to attend a dinner with Trump and between 20 and 30 of his backers.
“I had dinner with him a few hours later [the speech.]. He was good, disappointed that he was being charged for something everyone else was doing,” Tuberville told the DailyMail.com, adding that the fundraising dinner was scheduled before the charges.
The Alabama Republican insisted Trump was not focused on the day’s unprecedented events.
“We were talking about golf,” Tuberville insisted.
“He didn’t do what everyone else did, but it’s all politics. He understands that. It’s not his first rodeo.’
Tuberville was one of several senators to receive a call from Trump on January 6, 2021 asking him to object to the certification of Joe Biden’s election.
The senator insisted Trump had done nothing but the last “four or five presidents.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville skipped a vote on Tuesday to fly to Bedminster and be with President Trump on the day of his arrest — who he says is “disappointed” but in good spirits
“We look silly here, the FBI looks silly, the DOJ. a precedent has been set for the last four or five presidents and all of a sudden, ‘We don’t like this man. So we’re going after him.”
Tuberville said he was not concerned about Trump’s handling of classified documents, but that the Justice Department should be concerned about the documents found in President Biden’s garage.
“I read all about that, most of them were from the Senate. I’m walking out of that SCIF – you’re not taking anything.’
“There’s no reason for me to be concerned, I’m not the DOJ – they’re the ones who should be concerned. It just doesn’t have to be a two-level system.’
Trump was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in a federal courthouse in Miami for his handling of classified documents — before giving a speech to supporters at his club in Bedminster, NJ and dining with backers.
Tuberville also remained stubborn in blocking military promotions until the Pentagon reversed its policy of paying travel expenses for military personnel seeking abortions.
He said the Senate GOP leadership had not urged him to back off his grip, which the leadership affirmed. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has previously said he disagrees with the tactic.
Tuberville said he is not concerned about the military preparedness of servicemen who are unable to assume their new roles.
“They can do the most important one at a time – we can do five today.”
When asked about using floor time for one-on-one, non-controversial promotions, Tuberville said, “Did you see what we’re doing here?” Zero.’
Trump was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in a federal courthouse in Miami for his handling of classified documents — before giving a speech to supporters at his club in Bedminster, NJ and dining with backers
The Senate must ratify hundreds of promotions this year.
Marine General Eric Smith told senators Tuesday that Tuberville’s hold on promotions could jeopardize national security.
“It certainly compromises our ability to be the most prepared,” Smith said at an Armed Services Committee hearing. “Our preparedness is national security.”
“When a three-star general retires… there will be a one-star general, a fairly new one, in charge of [a] Marine Expeditionary Force with 48,000 men,” Smith explained. “It will have an effect.”
Tuberville’s colleagues have been trying to work with him to find a solution that would allow some 250 senior officer promotions to continue.
Tuberville reiterated Wednesday that he will not back down until Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin overturns policy or the Senate votes up or down on the Pentagon’s policy.
Senator Joni Ernst introduced a bill that would effectively reverse the Pentagon’s policies, offering Tuberville a deal where her bill would be voted on as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to be passed and he would be lift hold, but Tuberville refused.
“I don’t want to hold up NDAA for this,” the senator said.
Tuberville isn’t the only one with nominations.
On Tuesday, Senator JD Vance, R-Ohio, announced that he would stand in the way of any ruling by President Biden’s Justice Department on the charges against former President Trump. Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., blocks Biden’s EPA nominees over government climate policies and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he would block health-focused nominees until Biden comes up with a plan to cut drug costs .