In response to Senator Tommy Tuberville beginning to retreat from his shameful monthslong military blockade, DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika released the following statement: 

“More than nine months into his military blockade that is disrespecting America’s servicemembers, threatening our national security, and undermining military preparedness, Tommy Tuberville said he has ‘no regrets’ as he began to retreat from his shameful political stunt that put anti-abortion extremism ahead of our troops. Let’s be clear: Tuberville’s blockade isn’t over, and it has been made possible with the unwavering support of Donald Trump. The level of disrespect Trump and Tuberville continue to show our military and our allies in the name of anti-abortion extremism is unforgivable, and voters won’t soon forget.” 

After months of blocking hundreds of key military promotions and nominations all in the name of anti-abortion extremism, Tommy Tuberville has partially let up in his crusade against our military readiness and said that he has “no regrets about any of this.”

Politico: “Tommy Tuberville announced Tuesday he’s dropping most of his months-long holds on military officer nominations in the Senate, backing down from his vow to block them until the Pentagon changes an internal abortion policy. The Alabama Republican plans to continue his holds on 12 four-star general nominees, he told reporters, but will release the rest effective immediately.”

Andrew Desidero, Punchbowl News: “TUBERVILLE concedes he lost & got nothing in return: “We didn’t get the win that we wanted. We’ve still got the bad [abortion] policy. We tried to stand up for the taxpayers…”

But Tuberville tells me he has no regrets about any of this”

Politico: “Military leaders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have blasted Tuberville, saying that the hold harms national security and military readiness.”

Tuberville received unwavering support in his extreme blockade from Donald Trump and other 2024 MAGA Republicans.

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.””

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.”

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

DeSantis and Ramaswamy last month doubled down on their defense of Tuberville.

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.”

Ramaswamy: “On a broader set of grounds, it’s justified, where we have people put in charge of our military in positions of authority that are fundamentally ill-equipped to lead this nation forward.”

Despite releasing his hold on hundreds of stalled military appointments, Tuberville continues to block the confirmation of a number of four-star generals. 

ABC News: “The Alabama lawmaker told reporters he will lift his hold on all positions except for four-star generals, clearing the way for hundreds of stalled military appointments to be confirmed en bloc as soon as later Tuesday. ‘I’m releasing everybody — I’ve still got a hold on, I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me,’ Tuberville said. ‘Other than that, it’s over.’” 

Pentagon officials last month slammed Tuberville for his blockade 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.”