Incoming Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R- Ala. - 11/14/20
WASHINGTON – Incoming Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R- Ala., botched several basic historical facts during a recent interview — such as misidentifying the three branches of government.
Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach who won his Senate race on Nov. 3 by defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, did an interview on Thursday with The Alabama Daily News after he attended orientation in D.C. for new senators.
He was asked whether he thought the GOP could utilize their potential majority in the Senate to pass legislation as Democrats will control the House of Representatives and the White House. This prompted Tuberville to answer he doesn't care "if you’re a Republican or Democrat” and that he's been given a mandate to help people.
“Our government wasn’t set up for one group to have all three branches of government — wasn’t set up that way,” Tuberville continued, saying incorrectly: “You know, the House, the Senate, and the executive.”
Those are not the three branches of government. As laid out in the Constitution, the three branches of the federal government are: the legislative, which includes both the Senate and House; the executive, which includes the presidency, and the judicial, which includes the Supreme Court.
That wasn't the only historical flub in the interview.
Tuberville also misidentified what America fought against in World War II. When asked about the biggest takeaways from the election, Tuberville stated he was concerned that President-elect Joe Biden had promoted a vision that Tuberville claimed “leads more to a socialist type of government.”
“That’s concerning to me, that we’re to the point now where we’ve got almost half the country voting for something that this country wasn’t built on,” Tuberville said. “I tell people, my dad fought 76 years ago in Europe to free Europe of socialism.”
However, World War II was a global battle against fascism, and, in fact, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, known as the U.S.S.R. or Soviet Union, fought alongside the United States as part of the Allied powers.
Additionally, Biden is a mainstream, centrist Democrat and does not identify with socialism.
Tuberville also inaccurately said that former Vice President Al Gore, who was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000, was called the president-elect for 30 days during the infamous legal battle over a recount in Florida.
Neither Gore nor Republican nominee George W. Bush were considered the president-elect during that process, as neither were determined to have clearly won enough votes to secure the presidency.
Why Donald Trump isn't Al Gore:How 2020 legal challenges to the election differ from 2000
Tuberville also asserted that he plans to use his new Senate office to fundraise for the two Republican senators from Georgia who are now facing crucial runoff elections that will determine control of Senate.
Political fundraising out of a federal office building, and using official federal resources for campaign purposes, is barred by Senate ethics rules (Hatch Act).
(USA Today)
He may know football but certainly doesn't know history, basic knowledge of the constitution, or Senate ethic rules. And he'll be a U.S. senator.
Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach who won his Senate race on Nov. 3 by defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, did an interview on Thursday with The Alabama Daily News after he attended orientation in D.C. for new senators.
He was asked whether he thought the GOP could utilize their potential majority in the Senate to pass legislation as Democrats will control the House of Representatives and the White House. This prompted Tuberville to answer he doesn't care "if you’re a Republican or Democrat” and that he's been given a mandate to help people.
“Our government wasn’t set up for one group to have all three branches of government — wasn’t set up that way,” Tuberville continued, saying incorrectly: “You know, the House, the Senate, and the executive.”
Those are not the three branches of government. As laid out in the Constitution, the three branches of the federal government are: the legislative, which includes both the Senate and House; the executive, which includes the presidency, and the judicial, which includes the Supreme Court.
That wasn't the only historical flub in the interview.
Tuberville also misidentified what America fought against in World War II. When asked about the biggest takeaways from the election, Tuberville stated he was concerned that President-elect Joe Biden had promoted a vision that Tuberville claimed “leads more to a socialist type of government.”
“That’s concerning to me, that we’re to the point now where we’ve got almost half the country voting for something that this country wasn’t built on,” Tuberville said. “I tell people, my dad fought 76 years ago in Europe to free Europe of socialism.”
However, World War II was a global battle against fascism, and, in fact, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, known as the U.S.S.R. or Soviet Union, fought alongside the United States as part of the Allied powers.
Additionally, Biden is a mainstream, centrist Democrat and does not identify with socialism.
Tuberville also inaccurately said that former Vice President Al Gore, who was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000, was called the president-elect for 30 days during the infamous legal battle over a recount in Florida.
Neither Gore nor Republican nominee George W. Bush were considered the president-elect during that process, as neither were determined to have clearly won enough votes to secure the presidency.
Why Donald Trump isn't Al Gore:How 2020 legal challenges to the election differ from 2000
Tuberville also asserted that he plans to use his new Senate office to fundraise for the two Republican senators from Georgia who are now facing crucial runoff elections that will determine control of Senate.
Political fundraising out of a federal office building, and using official federal resources for campaign purposes, is barred by Senate ethics rules (Hatch Act).
(USA Today)
He may know football but certainly doesn't know history, basic knowledge of the constitution, or Senate ethic rules. And he'll be a U.S. senator.