Selma’s Bloody Sunday anniversary is “just turning into a photo-op for the President and a lot of people on the left,” according to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn).
Tuberville said in a press call with Alabama media on Wednesday that “it’s very important that this day in history is marked every year.”
“It was a sad day for all of us in this country of what happened,” Tuberville explained. “But that being said, Selma had tornadoes a few months ago. I hate it that a lot of these so-called politicians are going to go in and do a photo-op. They should’ve been here weeks and even months ago to help with this tornado devastation. I’ve been there several times. My staff has been there. We worked very hard to get money in there as quick as possible. It’s just unfortunate that this is just turning into a photo-op for the President and a lot of people on the left. It’s a good reason to be going, but there should have been a lot more urgency coming weeks and weeks in advance of this.”
Selma suffered casualties and property damage from tornadoes in January. Multiple counties in Alabama are considered disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the January storms and tornadoes.
On Tuesday, the White House announced President Joe Biden will visit Selma on the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
This will be Biden's third time attending the Selma annual voting rights commemoration, but this will be his first as President.
The annual commemoration has become a regular stop for politicians, with notable presidential attendees including Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Biden last appeared in Selma for the bridge commemoration in 2020 while campaigning.
Community leaders and civil rights activists annually commemorate the march in memory of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, in support of black voting rights.
The march concluded with police beating and tear-gassing marchers.
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