Senator Tommy Tuberville Defends Controversial Social Media Post

On Tuesday, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville found himself in hot water over a social media post that compared New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s comments to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Last week, Tuberville shared an image that juxtaposed photographs of the Twin Towers during the attacks with one of Mamdani at a Ramadan Iftar event at City Hall. The post, which originated from an account named “End Wokeness,” included the caption, “Less than 25 years difference.”

In response to the image, Tuberville stated, “The enemy is within the gates.”

When pressed for clarification about his posts on the platform X, Tuberville remarked, “I’m just following his rhetoric.”

Democrats have voiced sharp criticism of the senator’s comment about the “enemy at the gate” concerning Mayor Mamdani.

Tuberville elaborated, saying, “He’s made a lot of statements about his position on Islam and Islamic extremism, and they’re all consistent with what he preaches every day. I’m just repeating what he’s saying,” during an interview with DC News Now’s Reshad Hudson. He emphasized the importance of unity in the nation, remarking on how moral values transcend religious differences.

He argued that division should not exist in the country, suggesting that such actions threaten the nation as a whole, adding, “What he’s doing in New York is divisive.”

There has been backlash following Tuberville’s comments, particularly around his implication that “Muslims do not belong in American society.” In addressing whether Muslim Americans in Alabama might feel hurt by his posts, Tuberville said he has “some great Muslim friends” and spoke about conversations with Iranian individuals in Alabama regarding current events.

However, he also stated, “If you teach and preach Sharia law, if you bow down to the Koran, you are teaching Americans death. Don’t do that with me, okay?” despite the Koran not referencing the United States directly.

Tuberville reiterated his stance on not being concerned with someone’s religious background. He stressed the need for newcomers to integrate into American culture and refrain from creating divisions.

On social media, Tuberville made additional posts targeting Muslims, claiming, “Islamic extremists are the enemy of freedom-loving Americans.” He further criticized the media for supposedly protecting these extremists, suggesting the Quran calls for violence against non-Muslims.

As criticism mounted, Mamdani responded to Tuberville’s statements on X, urging politicians to show equal outrage toward pressing issues like child hunger as they do toward his community events.