Getty Tommy Tuberville.
Tommy Tuberville is Alabama‘s U.S. senator-elect and former NCAA football coach who is going viral after claiming the three government branches are “the House, the Senate and Executive.”
Tuberville, who defeated Democratic Senator Doug Jones on November 3, made the mistake during a November 12 interview with the Alabama Daily News.
When reporter Todd Stacy asked the senator-elect whether he believed that Democrats would have to work with Republicans and vice versa to achieve progress moving forward, Tuberville said the “government was set up” to operate that way.
“Our government wasn’t set up for one group to have all three of branches of government,” he expressed. “It wasn’t set up that way, our three branches, the House, the Senate and Executive.”
I talked with @TTuberville about his next steps, including hiring top staff, getting on committees and the prospects of working with razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate. Listen and read to our “In the Weeds” discussion here:
Tuberville then blames Democrats for the country’s divisive political climate, saying it does not fall on “the Republican side.”
Many readers were quick to share the former Auburn football coach’s mistake on social media, which began to spread like wildfire online. Tuberville’s name and “Alabama” were trending on Twitter on November 13.
Some users poked fun at stereotypes surrounding Alabama politics, while others called into question Tuberville’s lack of political experience.
Tommy Tuberville, who is about the be sworn in as a U.S. Senator, thinks the three branches of government are “the House, the Senate and executive.”
Turns out former Auburn f-ball coach, AL Sen-elect Tommy Tuberville doesn’t know the 3 branches, why we fought WWII, & that you can’t fundraise from your Senate office. What a surprise!
Tuberville has not yet commented on the matter. Heavy has reached out and is awaiting a response.
Here’s what you need to know about Tommy Tuberville:
1. Tuberville Coached 21 Seasons of College Football
GettyHead coach Tommy Tuberville of the Auburn Tigers celebrates after his team’s victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 24, 2007 in Auburn, Alabama.
Tuberville coached 21 seasons of college football with four different programs, according to his campaign website.
He coached at the University of Mississippi from 1995 to 1998 before transitioning to Auburn University in Alabama, the site continues. Tuberville coached the Tigers for nearly a decade.
After the 2016 season, Tuberville retired “as one of the top 50 most winning football coaches of all time,” his bio reads.
He then joined ESPN as a full-time broadcaster alongside hall-of-famer Mike Patrick, it adds.
2. Tuberville Has the Backing of President Donald Trump
Wow, just called! @TTuberville – Tommy Tuberville WON big against Jeff Sessions. Will be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama. @DougJones is a terrible Senator who is just a Super Liberal puppet for Schumer & Pelosi. Represents Alabama poorly. On to November 3rd.
President Donald Trump expressed his support for Tuberville following Alabama’s March primary.
The president said in May that Tuberville is a “true supporter,” adding that former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions “let our country down” by recusing himself during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Sessions later told Fox News that he did not regret his decision.
“You never regret doing what you believe is the right thing, Neil,” he said to the station. “I was convinced I had to do that, I was required to do that. My faith and my commitment to law is such that I would never fail to do my duty under those circumstances and I did what I felt I had to do.”
3. Tuberville Hails From Arkansas & Attended Southern Arkansas University
What a day for Alabama! SEC football is back and President @realDonaldTrump has officially nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court! #FillTheSeat #MAGA #KAG2020 #ALsen
Tuberville was born on September 18, 1954 in Camden, Arkansas, according to his online campaign biography.
As one of three kids, Tuberville was motivated to “give back to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces” by his father, Charles Tuberville, the website says. His father was a “highly decorated WWII veteran and Purple Heart recipient.”
Tuberville majored in education at Southern Arkansas University and “was a letterman at free safety for the Muleriders,” the page adds.
4. Tuberville Met His Wife at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans
Tuberville met his wife, Suzanne Fette, in 1989 at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, his campaign website says. The two married in 1991 and share two sons, Tucker and Troy, it continues.
The former coach’s biography describes Tucker as a “former student-athlete at Auburn University, who serves as an investment banker in New York.”
Troy, on the other hand, is “currently a student at Auburn University where he’s working on his business technology degree.”
5. Tuberville Has No Prior Political Experience
After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team. t.co/jlW8VdXpoq #TeamTommy #ALSen #MAGA
ESPN reported on November 3 that Tuberville “recaptured a U.S. Senate seat for Republicans” in Alabama by defeating Democratic Senator Doug Jones.
Jones, who won the seat during a 2017 special election, had “widely been considered” the most “endangered Democrat,” ESPN said.
Although Tuberville has never held public office, he has been a loyal supporter of President Trump, ESPN disclosed. He declared in the primary campaign that “God sent us Donald Trump,” the outlet added.
The former NCAA football coach announced in April 2019 his decision to enter the 2020 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Alabama.
“After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow,” Tuberville tweeted on April 6. “I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team.”
Tuberville, a “Christian conservative,” highlights several key areas of interest on his website, including gun rights, immigration and border security, lower taxes and “protecting life.”
On abortion, he says, “I will fight to protect the sanctity of every human life because future generations may very well look back at the current wave of infanticide sweeping across our nation as this generation’s holocaust.”
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