Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Tommy Tuberville

Public opinion and media debates around Tommy Tuberville—discover key moments of controversy.

Tommy Tuberville is an American politician and former college football coach. He currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Alabama, a position he has held since 2021. Prior to his political career, Tuberville had a successful coaching career, serving as head football coach at several universities, including Auburn University (1999-2008), the University of Mississippi (1995-1998), Texas Tech University (2010-2012), and the University of Cincinnati (2013-2016).

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1999: Clifton Robinson Incident

In 1999, during the off-season, Auburn wide receiver Clifton Robinson was charged with statutory rape. Tommy Tuberville suspended him from the team, and Robinson was later punished with a suspension for the season opener after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor.

2003: "JetGate" Incident

After Auburn lost three straight SEC games in 2003, Auburn boosters contacted Bobby Petrino about taking over as coach, leading to the "JetGate" controversy.

2011: Fraud Allegations

From 2008 to 2011, Tommy Tuberville was involved in TS Capital Management with John Stroud and was alleged to have defrauded investors of more than $1.7 million.

February 2012: Investors Sued Tuberville and Stroud

In February 2012, seven investors sued Tommy Tuberville and John David Stroud, alleging they were defrauded of more than $1.7 million invested from 2008 to 2011.

May 2012: Stroud Indicted

In May 2012, John David Stroud was indicted for fraudulent use of $5.2 million from various Auburn investment companies, including his partnerships with Tommy Tuberville.

November 10, 2012: Incident with Graduate Assistant

On November 10, 2012, during a game against Kansas, Tommy Tuberville yanked the hat and headset off his graduate assistant Kevin Oliver. He apologized two days later and was publicly reprimanded by Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby.

October 2013: Investor Lawsuit Settled

In October 2013, Tommy Tuberville settled the investor lawsuit against him on undisclosed terms.

November 2013: Stroud Sentenced

In November 2013, John David Stroud pleaded guilty and received a 10-year sentence.

2018: Internal records for 2018 show possible bookkeeping questions within Tuberville foundation

In 2018, internal records of Tuberville campaign and foundation officials showed nearly $20,000 was raised for a temporary project to provide a retreat for veterans. However, the records raised bookkeeping questions, as they showed more than $61,000 of 2018 revenue, roughly twice what the charity reported to the I.R.S. that year.

2018: The Tuberville foundation purchased a truck for $27,369

In 2018, the Tuberville foundation purchased a truck for $27,369, and by 2021, it spent nearly $12,400 to pay it off, according to a Washington Post report.

2020: New York Times reports bookkeeping questions within Tuberville foundation

In 2020, The New York Times reported that Tuberville campaign and foundation officials "produced internal records for 2018 that showed nearly $20,000 was raised for a temporary project to provide a retreat for veterans. But the records raised bookkeeping questions, since they showed more than $61,000 of 2018 revenue, roughly twice what the charity reported to the I.R.S. that year".

2020: Won Senate Election in Alabama

In 2020, Tommy Tuberville won the Republican nomination for the Senate election in Alabama, defeating Democratic incumbent Doug Jones. He allied himself with President Donald Trump and attempted to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

2020: Associated Press calls Tuberville Foundation a "questionable charity"

In 2020, the Associated Press described the Tuberville Foundation as "a questionable charity that raises money but gives very little away", as it spent only 18% of the raised money on charitable causes. Foundation officials countered that tax filings didn't reflect volunteer labor and donated materials.

2020: The 2020 presidential election results were objected to by Tuberville and Republican senators.

In 2020, the presidential election resulted in a victory for Joe Biden, which led to formal objections from Tommy Tuberville and other Republican senators in January 2021, as part of an effort to overturn the election results.

January 2021: Tuberville objects to counting electoral votes for Joe Biden

In January 2021, after taking office, Tommy Tuberville joined a group of Republican senators in formally objecting to counting electoral votes won by Democratic president-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

May 28, 2021: Tuberville votes against independent commission to investigate Capitol attack

On May 28, 2021, Tommy Tuberville voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack.

2021: Tuberville violated the STOCK Act 132 times in 2021

In 2021, according to Business Insider, Tommy Tuberville violated the STOCK Act 132 times, which led to his dismissal of proposals to ban lawmakers from trading stocks in February 2022.

2021: Washington Post reports on Tuberville foundation spending

In 2021, the Washington Post reported that the Tuberville foundation "reported it had $74,101 in revenue and spent just 12 percent of that, or $9,000, while $32,000 went to administrative costs (including nearly $12,400 to pay off a truck the charity purchased in 2018 for $27,369)".

February 2022: Tuberville dismisses proposals to ban lawmakers from trading stocks

In February 2022, Tommy Tuberville dismissed "ridiculous" proposals to ban lawmakers from trading stocks. According to Business Insider, Tuberville violated the STOCK Act 132 times in 2021.

June 2022: Tuberville calls overturning of Roe v. Wade a "victory for life"

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Tommy Tuberville called it a "victory for life". Earlier, he signed an amicus brief supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

October 8, 2022: Tuberville makes controversial remarks at Trump rally

On October 8, 2022, at a Trump rally in Nevada, Tommy Tuberville claimed that Democrats are "pro-crime", "want to take over what you've got", and "want reparation [sic] because they think the people that do the crime are owed that". These remarks were widely condemned as inaccurate and racist.

December 2022: Tuberville threatens to hold military promotions over abortion policy

In December 2022, after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a policy to allow pregnant service members leave and reimbursement for travel costs to obtain legal abortions, Tommy Tuberville threatened to put a Senate hold on all military promotions in protest.

2022: Tuberville votes against Respect for Marriage Act

In 2022, Tommy Tuberville voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which would federally codify same-sex marriage, despite saying there was "no need for legislating on gay marriage" and "I'm all about live life the way you want to. It's a free country."

2022: Tuberville votes against Honoring our PACT Act of 2022

In 2022, Tommy Tuberville was among the 11 Senators who voted against the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, a bill that provided funding for research and benefits for up to 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service.

February 2023: Tuberville holds military nominations over abortion policy

In February 2023, Tommy Tuberville announced he would hold all "civilian, flag, and general officer nominations" due to the "illegal expansion of DoD authority and gross misuse of taxpayer dollars" for abortions.

February 2023: Tuberville co-sponsors bill to prevent people with gender dysphoria from serving in the military

In February 2023, Tommy Tuberville co-sponsored a bill to prevent people with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria from serving in the U.S. military, with limited exceptions.

March 2023: Tuberville reintroduces bill to forbid trans girls and women from participating in women's sports

In March 2023, Tommy Tuberville reintroduced a bill to forbid public schools from allowing a trans girl or woman to participate in a girl's or women's sport, defining gender based on "reproductive biology and genetics at birth".

March 25, 2023: Tuberville complains about video of nonbinary sailor

On March 25, 2023, Tommy Tuberville publicly complained about a video of Lieutenant Junior Grade Audrey Knutson, a nonbinary sailor, reading a poem aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, which had gone viral after the U.S. Navy posted it to Instagram.

May 10, 2023: Tuberville questioned on white nationalists in the military

On May 10, 2023, Tommy Tuberville stated that the Biden administration "call[s] them that. I call them Americans," when asked about white nationalists serving in the military. His staff later stated he was skeptical of the presence of white nationalists in the military, not that he believed they should be in the military.

June 2023: New Hampshire resident arrested for threatening a member of Congress connected to Tuberville's hold on military promotions

In June 2023, a New Hampshire resident was arrested and charged with threatening to assault, kidnap or murder a member of Congress, connected to Tommy Tuberville's hold on military promotions.

July 2023: Tuberville comments on white nationalists draw criticism and reversal

In July 2023, Tommy Tuberville initially denied that white nationalists are inherently racist, drawing criticism, but reversed his statement a day later, saying, "White nationalists are racists."

August 2023: Residency questioned

In August 2023, The Washington Post reported that campaign finance and property records suggest Tommy Tuberville has been living in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, instead of Auburn, Alabama, for almost two decades, raising questions about his state of residency as a senator.

October 2023: Michael Hayden's controversial comment

In October 2023, retired Air Force general Michael Hayden suggested that Tommy Tuberville should not be considered human, after a social media post asking if Tuberville should be removed from his committee assignments. This was interpreted by some as a call for assassination. Tuberville reported the comment to the United States Capitol Police, claiming Hayden called for his "politically motivated assassination."

2023: Blocked Military Promotions

For 10 months in 2023, Tommy Tuberville blocked all promotions of senior officers in the U.S. military, protesting Defense Department policies on abortion. This delayed the filling of more than 450 other senior positions.

March 29, 2024: Tuberville accuses Democratic Party of being a "Satanic cult"

On March 29, 2024, Tommy Tuberville accused the Democratic Party of being a "Satanic cult" in response to a tweet about the banning of religious-themed designs from the White House Easter Egg art contest. This comment was made amidst backlash over Biden acknowledging International Transgender Day of Visibility.

January 2025: Tuberville says transgender children should "live in fear" of their parents

In January 2025, Tommy Tuberville stated that transgender children should "live in fear" of their parents, claiming parents were turning them trans, which he deemed "child abuse". LGBTQ Nation refuted these claims.

2025: Recruiting Claims

In 2025, Tommy Tuberville said he recruited Patrick Mahomes, who played at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016. Mahomes refuted that he recruited him.

Mentioned in this timeline

Patrick Mahomes is a highly accomplished American football quarterback for...

Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician who has dominated...

Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe second only...

College football is a popular amateur sport in the United...

The White House located at Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington...