Tommy Tuberville

Congressional Cowards is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions.Not even accepting a $400 million bribe from a foreign country is enough to get President Donald Trump's biggest supporters in Congress to deviate.Hardcore Trumpers, as well as some other big-name GOP leaders, refused to get on Trump's bad side by saying that he can't accept the big, fancy luxury jet that Qatar’s ruling family offered. Trump told people in private that he wants the jet because it’s “humiliating” to fly in the “outdated” Air Force One.House Speaker Mike Johnson said that “it’s not my lane" to weigh in on whether Trump should accept the jet, even though the Constitution quite literally says that Congress would have to approve the gift. “Look, I've been a little busy on reconciliation, so I'm not following all the twists and turns of the Qatar jet. I’ve certainly heard about it. My understanding is it's not a personal gift to the president, it’s a gift to the United States, and other nations give us gifts all the time,” he said at a press conference.xxYouTube VideoMeanwhile, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland said he has "no problems" with Trump accepting the bribe, and Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana said it's okay because Trump is a rich guy who needs fancy things."He's a billionaire businessman from New York. He doesn't sleep in a sleeping bag overnight. He says, 'Hey, this is a great plane,'" Zinke told CNN.xxYouTube VideoAnd Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Steve Daines of Montana are celebrating the bribe—because it’s free.“You can’t beat free,” Daines said."Free is good. You know, we don't have a lot of money right now to buy things like that,” Tuberville told CNN. xxYouTube VideoOf course, it’s not fully free, as it would take hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to outfit the plane for the needs of Air Force One.Then there’s Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who said he has "zero issue" with Trump accepting the plane. And you could almost hear the wheels turning in Sen. Rick Scott of Florida’s head as he tried to work through how he could justify defending Trump on this issue.“Gosh, let me give you a plane. I mean, that seems pretty nice, but they support Hamas, so I don't know,” Scott said. But while a number of Republicans support Trump in taking the bribe, this issue has gotten more Republicans than usual to criticize Dear Leader, citing concerns with accepting a plane from a country that has offered funding to Hamas."I do think the jet probably sends the wrong signal, and I don't like the look or appearance of it, so I would hope he would reject it. The Constitution specifically says you can't take gifts from foreign leaders," Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky told Fox business.Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia told CNN, “I’d be checking for bugs is what I’d be checking for.”Even Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas isn’t onboard with accepting the jet from Qatar."I’m not a fan of Qatar. I think they have a really disturbing pattern of funding theocratic lunatics who want to murder us, funding Hamas and Hezbollah, and that’s a real problem. I also think the plane poses significant espionage and surveillance problems, so we’ll see how this issue plays out but I certainly have concerns,” he said on CNBC.xxYouTube VideoMeanwhile, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said that it would be ridiculous to think that the Qataris won’t be expecting anything in return for the massive gift.“How many of us have actually been offered the promise of a jet? When you get something of that value from a country, one typically thinks that there's something in it for the country that is offering it,” she said.And for Rep. Jeff Hurd of Colorado, the main issue with Trump accepting a bribe from Qatar is the country’s ties to Hamas."I have serious concerns with this so-called gift from the government of Qatar—security concerns, ethical concerns with this used airplane. But it's also a gift from a government that supports terrorist organizations like Hamas. So, if there were a Democratic president that was accepting a gift like this, we'd be outraged. I think it’s something that we should look at carefully,” he told CNN.With so many Republicans suggesting that they don’t support Trump’s acceptance of the bribe, it’s unclear whether Trump will still go through with the transaction.But if this does go to Congress, which would be constitutionally required to take a vote, it looks exceedingly unlikely that he’d be able to accept his precious plane anyway.Campaign Action

I grew up in what many people would consider a cult. Compared to that, Americans still have freedom

Democrats are planning to put as much scrutiny as they can on President Trump’s plan to accept the gift of a plane from Qatar to serve as Air Force One, arguing the ethical and national security lapses in accepting the jet will resonate with the public. They also want to cast the Department of Justice [...]

Some lawmakers and President Trump want to offer overtime tax relief. But will a tax deduction or an exemption help you most?

Fox News Digital asked lawmakers on Capitol Hill to respond to President Donald Trump's argument that illegal immigrants are not entitled to due process.

For the fourth time this year, a term-limited governor is saying a hard "NO" to the Senate, dealing big blows to party leaders John Thune (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).Why it matters: The governor-to-Senate pipeline is reversing this cycle.👎 Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp (R) won't challenge vulnerable Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) in 2026. Thune flew to Atlanta last month to recruit Kemp, as Axios scooped.👎 Michigan, Kentucky and New Hampshire: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and former Gov. Chris Sununu (R) are skipping open races next year.Zoom in: At least three senators are now looking at ditching the Senate for the governor's mansion.In Colorado, Sen. Michael Bennet (D) has already announced a run for governor.In Tennessee and Alabama, Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R) and Tommy Tuberville (R) are seriously considering gubernatorial campaigns, as well.Since 1986, 54 incumbent or former governors have run for Senate seats — compared to just 14 sitting or former senators who ran for governor, according to a recent analysis by Ballotpedia.The senators won gubernatorial elections 73% of the time, while governors won their Senate races just 48% of the time.Behind the scenes: Senate leaders are grappling with thin margins, big personalities and President Trump's iron grip.🏡 The Senate is also less glamorous than it once was. It's politically untenable to move your family out of the home state anymore, requiring lots of back-and-forth travel while in session for most lawmakers.💰 Senators haven't gotten a raise in 16 years. Meanwhile, Senate campaigns are more expensive than ever.What they're saying: Sen. (and former Gov.) Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told Axios that governors "have the ability to actually make a difference in a short period of time. ... In the Senate, it's pretty archaic, and process takes time."Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), another former governor, told Axios how he counsels governors interested in the Senate: "The one thing you don't do as governor is armed services, foreign relations and intel. The whole national security part of being a senator is a really cool thing."The intrigue: The governor's mansion also has a strong draw for ambitious House members these days.Six House members have launched 2025 and 2026 campaigns for governor, compared to four who are officially running for Senate. That balance could shift as races shake out and people move from "considering" to "running."As many as four House Republicans could take a shot at the Senate race in Georgia now that Kemp is out of the running.What to watch: Former Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) has yet to make a decision on whether he will try to oust Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) from his seat next year.Cooper would be the Democrats' best bet at flipping the seat.Stephen Neukam contributed reporting.

Sen. Mike Lee says that airlines should provide their own security. Such a hodge-podge of protocols would be far less secure than what the TSA currently provides.

Our Alabama Supreme Court is a stellar group. All nine of our Alabama justices are Republicans. They are conservative Republicans and that is not bad. It is actually proper and appropriate given that we are one of the most conservative...

After a two-year hiatus, Senate GOP primaries are on the way back. Senate Republicans are bracing for a midterm cycle that could be littered with nasty primary challenges to both incumbents and preferred candidates alike, marking a stark change after party leaders worked hand in glove with President Trump to root them out to help [...]

Thirteen weeks in session, 213 votes, 55 confirmations, two vote-a-ramas and a final 2am vote — Senate Republicans could not be more ready for a two-week recess.Why it matters: Republicans demanded that their new leader get the Senate working hard again. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) answered the call, but Republicans are feeling the effects of the Democratic opposition.Thune had to constantly haggle with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on vote times, and delays from Democrats have been particularly draining, Republicans told Axios.Senate staffers also had to stay nimble, needing to reschedule meetings or media appearances over the past few weeks.Tomorrow will mark the 100th day of the 119th Congress. Hopes for a Thursday afternoon fly-out were spoiled by Democratic holds on President Trump's nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Between the lines: Nobody wants to admit they're tired, but most GOP senators chuckled when Axios asked about the level of fatigue among their colleagues. A couple of senators threw each other under the bus."Listening to our freshmen talk, I think this has been a rough stretch," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Axios."I think the older guys are getting tired," another senator told Axios, not wanting to be named.What they're saying: "My sense is people are looking forward to spending some time at home," Hawley said."I don't want to think like Washington. I want to make sure I think like home," Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said. "So getting home is really important.""I think we've set, pretty much, records," Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told Axios. He expects the Senate to "come back swinging again" but admitted that it will be good to "get away from each other and go back in the states."The bottom line: "We absolutely signed up for this," said Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.). "I think it is a critical moment in time ... and we'll certainly work around the clock, which is exactly what we're doing.""It's definitely different than my first two years when we were in the minority and we weren't doing a lot of stuff," Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said."I've never been busier," Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said. "But I'm proud of what we've accomplished."Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) said that despite "working long hours," the enthusiasm for nominees and tax reform "mitigates any physical exhaustion some of our members might feel."What's next: GOP leadership told senators to expect eight votes a day when they come back from recess, sources told Axios.

Col. Susan Meyers, commander of the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland, was relieved of duty after sending an email in which she distanced herself from Vice President JD Vance’s visit.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., seen here at a hearing in January, is running for governor. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Sens. Jim Risch and Tommy Tuberville are urging governors across the country to adhere to President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep men out of women’s sports.

Democratic Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz is blocking more than 300 of President Donald Trump's nominees from swift confirmation votes despite previously criticizing efforts to stall nominations during the Biden administration.

The Senate parliamentarian plays a key role in budget reconciliation, which congressional Republicans are using to advance the president's policy goals.

Gen. Timothy Haugh had just last week testified​ on Capitol Hill about the Signal leak in which a journalist had been added to a group chat with high-ranking members of the Trump administration.

The bill mandates that commercial airport security be privatized to "increase cost-efficiency and security.”

Democrats ridicule proposal to abolish the Transportation Security Administration, suggesting Osama bin Laden and Iran's Ayatollah would be in favor of it.

Congressional Cowards is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions.As fury mounts over the Trump administration’s leaking of classified military operations in an unsecure Signal group chat that included a reporter who did not have a security clearance, GOP lawmakers have continued to downplay the seriousness of the situation.The ridiculous defenses—ranging from lies about the contents of the messages to conspiracy theories about how the reporter got added to the conversation in the first place—are even rankling some Trump administration allies, who told Politico that President Donald Trump and his team need to own up to the error, fire those involved, and end the controversy.But that message has clearly not been heard by congressional Republicans, who are still defending the monumental fuck-up that risked U.S. troops who were carrying out an attack on a rebel group in Yemen—even as more details emerge confirming that classified information was shared on an insecure platform.Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said that he stands by the Trump administration officials who were involved—including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who shared in the chat the exact timing of the forthcoming attack and the weapons systems that would be used.“President Trump and his team have admitted that having a journalist in the group text was wrong, will be reviewed and falls in the category of ‘lessons learned’ so that it doesn’t happen again. I think President Trump has handled this matter well. Further, I believe that all the participants in the chat were under the impression they were using an appropriate and secure form of communication. This will also fall into the category of ‘lessons learned,’” Graham said in a statement.He ended with, “I continue to support all members of President Trump’s national security team. Lessons learned.”Similarly, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, said in an appearance on CNN that this was just an honest mistake made by rookie administration officials who didn’t know any better than to share classified information on a text chat including a reporter. "Remember, they're just starting in the job. This game just started. Let's see how they do the next two years, and then we can judge them. But not because of one mistake that they put a reporter—maybe they made a mistake and they put that ... listen, those that do not have any sins, they can throw the first stone,” she said.xxYouTube VideoGOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who has become a regular in this series for saying idiotic things, said that anyone could have made the same mistake. “We all make mistakes. I don't know how it happened. It might have been a communication problem with somebody in the communications department," Tuberville told CNN, saying that there shouldn't be any investigations.xxYouTube VideoMeanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson said the blunder is not a fireable offense, which he certainly would not be saying had this been done by Democratic administration officials."I don't think someone should have lost their job over that because an errant number found their way onto a dialogue," Johnson said during a news conference on Tuesday.True to form, GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio lied about the war plans leak entirely. "The signal chat didn’t contain classified information. Terrorists were killed. Americans are safer," Jordan wrote on X.And while Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas admitted on his podcast that the Signal chat was "a huge screwup," he then downplayed the seriousness of it.“It’s sort of comparable to a butt dial,” he said.I don’t know about you, but when I accidentally butt dial someone, they usually just hear me telling my kids to put on their shoes, not spilling classified intel that could get people killed.Ultimately, while Republicans shirk their responsibility to investigate the obvious security failure and to hold the Trump administration accountable, Democrats are filling that void.For example, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding answers to what he described as “one of the most humiliating and dangerous national security breaches in modern American history—one that put the lives of American service members and intelligence officers carrying out military operations abroad at risk and a rupture in national security protocol that almost certainly violates federal criminal and civil statutes.”In the letter, Raskin demanded to know if there is an FBI investigation into the security breach, if there have been other instances of classified information being discussed in improper settings, and if the Trump administration is using Signal to conduct other official matters.And in a letter to Trump, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in American history” Hegseth to be removed from his administration.“His behavior shocks the conscience, risked American lives and likely violated the law,” he wrote. “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth should be fired immediately.”Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.

EXCLUSIVE: Republican senators are standing behind Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth amid calls for his resignation over the Signal chat leak, telling Fox News Digital that calls for him to be fired are “hot garbage."

Sens. Mike Lee and Tommy Tuberville introduced a bill to abolish the current TSA and move toward privatization of security, specifically slamming violations of privacy and law.

President Donald Trump has appointed Gen. Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser and a leader in the extremist QAnon conspiracy theorist movement, to serve on an advisory board for West Point military academy.Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, fulfilling a promise he made to Flynn in 2023 that he would bring him back into the federal government if he won the election.Flynn posted a video in 2020 showing himself and a small group taking the QAnon oath, emphasizing the QAnon catchphrase “where we go one, we go all.” Flynn was also banned from posting on Twitter in 2021 for violating the site’s policy at the time against accounts “solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content” (under current owner Elon Musk, such content is no longer prohibited).QAnon is a fringe conspiracy movement that believes in the myth that a secret group of pedophiles within the federal government is kidnapping children. QAnon supporters have promoted the mythology that Trump is leading a revolution against this “deep state” group. QAnon adherents have been involved in various crimes, including murder, assassination plots, and kidnappings.Trump and Charlie KirkFlynn served as Trump’s national security adviser and was removed from his position after he lied to then-Vice President Mike Pence about conversations he had with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the agency’s investigation into Russian interference in favor of Trump during the 2016 election. Pence rescinded his guilty plea and was pardoned by Trump.Trump also appointed pro-Trump propagandist and bigot Charlie Kirk to serve on the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, as well as Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville who impacted military families by holding up a series of promotions in 2024.Trump personal aide Walt Nauta, who was indicted along with Trump in special counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case, was appointed to the Naval Academy Board of Visitors. Smith dropped the charges after Trump won the election.The appointments follow in the footsteps of several Trump actions that have hurt the armed forces and veterans. Trump purged longtime diversity clubs from military academies, has allowed Musk’s DOGE group to disrupt research on military protection equipment, and has purged employees from the Veterans Administration, adversely affecting veteran health care.Campaign Action

We are officially over 50 days into the Trump 2.0 White House, and I can confidently say the Swamp is draining more and more by the second. President Trump campaigned largely on a mission to root out the vast waste...

More than two dozen Senate and House Republicans demand the International Olympics Committee to align with President Donald Trump's executive order banning trans athletes from women's sports.

Sens. Ossoff and Shaheen explained why they had voted with all Democrats to block a bill to bar males from women’s sports.

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. Democrats’ divided responses to President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress culminated with 10 of them in the House voting with Republicans on Thursday to censure Texas Democratic [...]The post At the Races: Censure and sensitivity appeared first on Roll Call.

Linda McMahon was sworn in as the next Secretary of Education on Monday shortly after being confirmed to the post in a full Senate vote.

The Senate failed to advance a bill to codify a Trump executive order and prevent biological males from playing in girls sports.

'This is an 80/20 issue'

The battle over keeping men out of women's sports could be decided by Congress, if seven Democrat senators vote for it. The idea is wildly popular with voters, but will that matter?

President Donald Trump will again be welcomed by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON — House Republican cohesion ticked up just slightly last year, from a historically bad 2023, while Senate Democrats saw record success on votes that split the parties as both chambers dealt with narrow margins that left diminishing room for dissent.

President Joe Biden arrives to deliver his State of the Union address in the House chamber on March 7, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The Texas Democrat called out conservatives who "fail to realize" how the Trump administration is dragging them to the "find out phase."

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the pro-union Republican tapped by President Donald Trump for Labor secretary, testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Wednesday.

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Last week, the Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to advance Kennedy to a full Senate floor vote, which could happen this week.

The Chiefs quarterback got to the truth after the president ran with a falsehood about him.

Tuberville lamented what he says is an overreliance on medication to treat ADHD. He lost credibility when he mentioned whipping a child.

The Republican senator went to bat for Donald Trump with a major self-own.

The election makes this the time to keep sports safe for women and pass the 'Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.' It would preserve Title IX safeguards for female athletes.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said Monday he’s placing a “blanket hold” on President Donald Trump’s nominees for the State Department, slowing down his hopes of quickly installing personnel in key positions.Schatz, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, said his move is in protest of Trump’s billionaire adviser, Elon Musk, declaring that he and the president will shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.“Dismantling USAID is illegal and makes us less safe. USAID was created by federal law and is funded by Congress. Donald Trump and Elon Musk can’t just wish it away with a stroke of a pen — they need to pass a law,” Schatz said in a statement.“Until and unless this brazenly authoritarian action is reversed and USAID is functional again, I will be placing a blanket hold on all of the Trump administration’s State Department nominees,” he continued. “This is self-inflicted chaos of epic proportions that will have dangerous consequences all around the world.”A “hold” is essentially a threat to prevent a speedy vote for a nominee in the full Senate. It forces Republicans to jump through hoops and burn floor time to confirm them, which adds up when there are many lower-level nominees for the department who might otherwise get fast-tracked to the floor for votes.Trump Administration3 hours agoWhat is USAID? Explaining the US foreign aid agency and why Trump, Musk want to end itTrump Administration2 hours agoUSAID headquarters in Washington is blocked after Musk says Trump agrees to close the aid agencyNominees require a majority to be confirmed in the Senate. Republicans have 53 senators, so Democrats cannot scuttle Trump’s picks on their own. But they can drag out the process and detract from other nominees or bills that GOP leaders prefer to spend time on.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday he had been named acting administrator of USAID. Although the Senate voted unanimously to confirm Rubio, there are many high-ranking positions underneath him that also require Senate approval.Democratic lawmakers gathered Monday afternoon to speak outside USAID’s Washington headquarters to blast the “illegal” shutdown of the agency, accusing Trump and Musk of circumventing Congress.“We will use every power that we have at our disposal in the US Senate. My colleagues will do the same thing in the House. This is a constitutional crisis that we are in today,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. “Let’s not pull any punches about why this is happening. Elon Musk makes billions of dollars off of his business with China. And China is cheering at this action today. There is no question that the billionaire class trying to take over our government right now is doing it based on self interest.”Holds on nominees were used extensively by Republicans to protest former President Joe Biden’s policies over the last four years.In 2023, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., placed a hold on over 400 military promotions for 10 months in protest of the Department of Defense’s abortion travel policy.Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., briefly placed a blanket hold on civilian nominees for the State Department and the Department of Defense in 2021 in protest of the Biden administration’s handling of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan.And a group of Senate Republicans placed holds on Biden’s nominees, including judicial nominees, in the wake of court cases that were brought against Trump in 2024.The Trump administration has yet to formally put forward nominees for many of the vacant ambassadorships and assistant secretary positions that require Senate confirmation. But there are nominees for several key positions within the State Department that are already in the pipeline.Among those waiting to be confirmed are Elise Stefanik as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, along with those positions immediately under Rubio: Christopher Landau for deputy secretary of state; Michael Rigas for deputy secretary of state for management; and Adam Boehler for special envoy for hostage affairs.Veteran career foreign service officers or civil servants are currently the acting leadership in these positions, but they are not able to act with the same authority as those who have been tapped by the president for the position. There are currently almost 100 ambassadorships awaiting nominations, according to the American Foreign Service Union, including senior leadership at the U.S. mission to the U.N.This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:Live updates: Trump to discuss tariffs with officials from Canada and MexicoUnder Trump, conservatives reignite a battle over race and the ConstitutionElon Musk says he and Trump are shutting down USAID

The Pentagon rescinded a Biden administration policy that reimbursed service members for travel to obtain abortions and other reproductive health procedures.

It was a blockbuster showing like nothing the Senate has seen in modern memory.

Two of Trump's most controversial picks for his administration are set to face Senate committees during the same week.

Pete Hegseth could be confirmed as the next secretary of defense, if he can maintain his current level of Senate support.

Senate Republicans are steamrolling ahead on Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon, and a new report detailing allegations of abusive behavior by the nominee have seemingly not dissuaded them. The Senate is set to hold an initial procedural vote on the nomination Thursday, even as Democrats attempt to delay final passage. Shortly after news [...]

Although he tried to follow a similar playbook during his first term, there are fewer guardrails this time.

Our forests aren't much like Wisconsin's