In response to Donald Trump and 2024 Republicans’ continued support for Senator Tommy Tuberville’s dangerous blockade of hundreds of military promotions, DNC spokesperson Sarafina Chitika released the following statement: 

“As Senate Republicans ring the alarm about their colleague’s reckless political stunt undermining our national security, Donald Trump and 2024 MAGA Republicans are gleefully cheering Tuberville on. Today’s MAGA Republican Party is so hellbent on their anti-abortion extremism they’re willing to disrespect service members and jeopardize our military readiness. Trump, DeSantis, and the other MAGA minions willing to undermine our military and use it as a political prop are too dangerous, too extreme and too erratic to be trusted as commander in chief.” 

As some Republicans in the Senate have begun to call out Tuberville’s dangerous blockade of military promotions, Donald Trump and other 2024 Republicans are STILL fervently supporting Tuberville, prioritizing their anti-abortion extremism over our national security.

AL.com: “Former President Donald Trump praised Tuberville over the votes on Truth Social: ‘BIG WIN FOR TOMMY. Unlike McConnell and his group of automatic Democrat YES VOTES, Tommy T is willing to take on the Radical Left Fascists & Thugs that are destroying our Country. What a difference!’”

Politico: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backed Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s months-long blockade on military nominations on Thursday, saying that the Pentagon’s abortion policy would ‘go out the window’ if he wins the presidency. … Military leaders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have blasted Tuberville, saying that the hold harms national security and military readiness.”

HuffPost: “GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley took aim at the Defense Department for beginning a policy at the center of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on 300-plus military promotions in the Senate.”

The Messenger: “Tim Scott Says Tuberville Holding Up Military Promotions ‘Not Necessarily a Bad Thing’”

Washington Examiner: “Vivek Ramaswamy becomes latest GOP presidential candidate to back Tuberville military hold”

Today, Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott doubled down on their defense of Tuberville’s shameless blockade of military promotions.

Florida Politics: “Ron DeSantis backs Tommy Tuberville in ongoing skirmish with Senate”

Mika Brzezinski: “Do you think that Senator Tuberville should lift the blockade that he’s put on military promotions?”

DeSantis: “No.”

Brian Kilmeade: “So you’re with Tuberville?”

Tim Scott: “He is right on his issue.”

Tuberville’s doubling down comes as the U.S. looks to move quickly to support our ally and provide humanitarian aid for thousands of innocent lives caught in the crossfire. 

Politico: “Sen. Tommy Tuberville is not relenting from his monthslong blockade of military nominations over the Biden administration’s abortion policy — even in the face of one of America’s closest allies going to war.

“After Hamas attacked Israel, Senate Democrats said it was past time for several top-level military nominees to be approved. But a Tuberville spokesperson confirmed Sunday that the senator’s position remains: Democrats must move top nominees individually until the Pentagon revokes its policy of covering travel costs for troops seeking an abortion across state lines.”

Pentagon officials slammed Tuberville for his blockade yesterday in the wake of a top Marine’s hospitalization.

Politico: “‘This is outrageous’: Pentagon officials furious over Tuberville holds after top Marine hospitalized”

“Pentagon officials have been frustrated for months over an Alabama senator’s blockade of more than 300 senior military nominations. But after the Marine Corps chief was hospitalized over the weekend, that frustration is turning into rage.”

Senior DOD official: “This is outrageous. … I cannot help but think … that Tuberville’s unnecessary stress that he’s put on the situation where you don’t have a backup … has added a level of complexity and danger to an already bad situation.”

Politico: “25 officers have had their retirements deferred due to the hold, including five who have had to do it twice.”

Meanwhile, the Senate GOP is in complete disarray, as even some Senate Republicans are fed up with how Tuberville’s blockade is undermining military readiness and threatening our national security. 

Andrew Desiderio, Punchbowl News: “‘Sen. Sullivan still going after Tuberville, three hours in: ‘Xi Jinping is loving this. So is Putin. How dumb can we be, man?’”

Andrew Desiderio, Punchbowl News: “Sullivan getting angrier as Tuberville continues to object. He says the Chinese and the Russians are watching this and thinking, ‘Gosh I can’t believe how dumb these guys are.’”

Steven Dennis, Bloomberg: “Tuberville: ‘Madam President, I object’

Sullivan: ‘There goes another downgrade of our readiness.’”

Igor Bobic, HuffPost: “Sullivan getting increasingly caustic with each military promotion that Tuberville objects to. 

‘The Chinese are like, “Man we’ve been wanting to take out the U.S. Navy for decades and the U.S. Senate is doing it right now,”’ he remarks”

Steven Dennis, Bloomberg: “Ernst says these are men and women who have sworn to uphold the Constitution and ‘would do it with their blood.’

…

Tuberville objects again.”
Washington Post: “At one point, Graham, his voice rising, said there’s a reason that no other senator had pursued a move like this for so long. ‘No matter whether you believe it or not, Senator Tuberville, this is doing great damage to our military,’ he said. ‘I don’t say that lightly; I’ve been trying to work with you for nine months.’”