Tuberville 'doesn't know what the hell he's talking about' after missing Joint Chiefs chair retirement date: analysis

12 September 2023

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) continues to hold up military promotions as a way of attacking abortion policies for women who are enlisted. And the pro-Donald Trump senator's critics, who range from Democrats to Never Trump conservatives, have been slamming him for pandering to the Religious Right at the expense of the United States' national security.

In an opinion column published by MSNBC's website on September 12, "Rachel Maddow Show" producer Steve Benen lambasts Tuberville not only for holding up military promotions, but also, for failing to understand how the military works.

Tuberville, Politico reported, told reporters that he assumed Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley would remain in his position beyond his October 1 retirement date even if the U.S. Senate doesn't confirm a replacement. But Milley is legally required to leave on October 1.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

"It was a rather remarkable exchange," Benen writes. "The coach-turned-politician, who has no background in the military and no record of public service before getting elected to the Senate, apparently assumed that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs would just stick around for a while as Tuberville’s blockade continued."

Benen continues, "If the Republican lawmaker had done his homework — getting up to speed on the details of his own dangerous efforts — the senator would know that Gen. Milley's term, as a statutory matter, ends on October 1."

On X (formerly Twitter), Tuberville got a stern rebuke from Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-New Jersey), a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot.

The congresswoman, on September 11, tweeted, "Sen. Tuberville never served and frankly, doesn't know what in the hell he's talking about. His holds hurt our national security and play into the hands of our adversaries. It's time for McConnell and Senate Republicans to stand up for our servicemembers and military families."

Benen comments, "Whether Tuberville understands any of this remains an open question. As for the senator's contention that someone should 'get somebody else to do the job' of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, there's already a qualified nominee in place who has broad support. Everyone is simply waiting for Tuberville to get out of the way."

Read Steve Benen's full columnat this link.

From Your Site Articles