U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) found himself in the middle of a firestorm for remarks he made earlier this month at a rally staged by former President Donald Trump for Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Adam Laxalt.
The junior Alabama U.S. Senator called out so-called "pro-crime" Democrats and called their policies a form of "reparation" at the event held in Minden, Nev.
During an interview that aired Tuesday on Mobile Fox affiliate WALA, Tuberville dismissed his critics and those calling for him to apologize for the remarks.
"Well, it had nothing to do with race," Tuberville said. "Crime has no color. We've got crime all over this country and the people, the taxpayers, deserve safe streets, safe neighborhoods. But my colleagues on the left — they won't come out and speak out against it. Our justice system's out of whack. We don't put anybody in jail. We don't hold anybody accountable. And the people of this country deserve safe streets and safe neighborhoods. And if we don't get control of it, it's going to get worse."
Fox 10's Lenise Ligon asked Tuberville to respond to the NAACP's call for an apology, to which Tuberville said he would not apologize.
"Well, I'd apologize if I meant anything about race, but it wasn't," he replied. "Race has no color. Reparation would have no color because anybody who does anything wrong, who thinks they deserve it is absolutely wrong in this country. We can't have a country that chooses winners and losers, basically. We have to have people who go by law and order. Problems for the last few years have been getting worse. And it is not just petty crimes. It is murder. Now we're having fentanyl problems, the border — all of those things going on. But it had nothing to do with race. Everything had to do, that came from me, had to do with people doing the wrong things, breaking the law but not being held accountable because of the actions of my Democratic colleagues."
Jeff Poor is the executive editor of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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