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 currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Alabama since 2021. Prior to his political career, he held head coaching positions at four universities: the University of Mississippi (1995-1998), Auburn University (1999-2008), Texas Tech University (2010-2012), and the University of Cincinnati (2013-2016). His career spans both the realms of collegiate athletics and national politics.
1998: Departure Imminent
At the end of the 1998 regular season, Tuberville stated he would have to be carried out of Ole Miss in a pine box to leave. However, he departed to coach at Auburn less than a week later.
1999: Clifton Robinson Incident
In 1999, during the off-season, wide receiver Clifton Robinson was charged with statutory rape. Tuberville suspended Robinson, and after Robinson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, Tuberville allowed him to rejoin the team after a further suspension.
2003: "JetGate" Scandal
In 2003, after Auburn lost three straight SEC games, the "JetGate" incident occurred when Auburn boosters contacted Bobby Petrino about potentially replacing Tuberville.
2011: Fraud Allegations
From 2008 to 2011, Tuberville and Stroud managed TS Capital Management and TS Capital Partners where investors claimed they were defrauded.
February 2012: Investor Lawsuit
In February 2012, Tuberville and Stroud were sued by investors who claimed they were defrauded of over $1.7 million.
May 2012: Stroud Indicted
In May 2012, John David Stroud was indicted for fraudulent use of $5.2 million from Auburn investment companies, including partnerships with Tuberville.
November 10, 2012: Incident with Graduate Assistant
On November 10, 2012, during a game against Kansas, Tuberville yanked the hat and headset off his graduate assistant, Kevin Oliver, leading to a public reprimand.
October 2013: Settled Investor Lawsuit
In October 2013, Tuberville settled the investor lawsuit on undisclosed terms, claiming he was also a victim and lost $450,000.
November 2013: Stroud Pleaded Guilty
In November 2013, John David Stroud pleaded guilty and received a 10-year sentence for fraud.
2018: Questions Raised About Veterans' Retreat Funds
In 2018, internal records showed that nearly $20,000 was raised for a temporary project to provide a retreat for veterans, but the records raised bookkeeping questions.
2018: Charity Purchased Truck
In 2018, the charity purchased a truck for $27,369.
October 2020: Pentagon Report on White Supremacist Inroads
In October 2020, a Pentagon report indicated "white supremacist inroads in the U.S. military".
2020: NYT Reports on Tuberville Foundation Discrepancies
In 2020, The New York Times reported on discrepancies in the Tuberville campaign and foundation's internal records, which showed that in 2018 nearly $20,000 was raised for a veterans' retreat, but financial records raised bookkeeping questions.
2020: Objected to 2020 Presidential Election Results
In 2020, Tuberville objected to the counting of electoral votes won by Joe Biden in the presidential election.
2020: Tuberville Foundation Called "Questionable Charity"
In 2020, the Associated Press labeled the Tuberville Foundation as "a questionable charity that raises money but gives very little away," due to only 18% of funds raised going to charitable causes.
January 2021: Tuberville Objects to Electoral Votes
In January 2021, after taking office, Tuberville joined Republican senators in objecting to the counting of electoral votes won by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
2021: STOCK Act Violations
According to Business Insider, in 2021 Tuberville violated the STOCK Act 132 times.
2021: Washington Post Reports on Tuberville Foundation Spending
In 2021, the Washington Post reported that the Tuberville Foundation spent only 12% of its revenue on charitable activities, with a significant portion going to administrative costs. By the end of 2021, the foundation's website went defunct.
February 2022: Tuberville Dismisses Stock Trading Ban
In February 2022, Tuberville dismissed proposals to ban lawmakers from trading stocks as "ridiculous".
October 8, 2022: Tuberville Makes Controversial Remarks at Trump Rally
On October 8, 2022, at a Trump rally in Nevada, Tuberville made controversial remarks about Democrats, claiming they are "pro-crime" and "want reparation [sic]", which were widely condemned as inaccurate and racist.
December 2022: Tuberville Threatens Hold on Military Promotions
In December 2022, Tuberville threatened to place a Senate hold on military promotions to protest a policy allowing pregnant service members leave and reimbursement for abortion-related travel, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
2022: Tuberville on Respect for Marriage Act
In 2022, Tuberville stated there was "no need for legislating on gay marriage" and voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, despite saying, "I'm all about live life the way you want to. It's a free country."
February 2023: Tuberville Announces Hold on Military Nominations
In February 2023, 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.
March 25, 2023: Tuberville Complains About Navy Video
On March 25, 2023, Tuberville publicly complained about a video of a nonbinary sailor reading a poem on the USS Gerald R. Ford, leading to a response from the chief of naval operations in support of the sailor.
May 10, 2023: Tuberville Comments on White Nationalists in the Military
On May 10, 2023, Tuberville said that he considers white nationalists in the military as "Americans," leading to a statement from his staff clarifying his skepticism about their presence, despite evidence to the contrary.
June 2023: Resident Arrested for Threatening a Member of Congress
In June 2023, a New Hampshire resident was arrested and charged with threatening to assault, kidnap or murder a member of Congress, connected to Tuberville's 2023 hold on military promotions.
July 2023: Tuberville Foundation Activities Paused
In July 2023, a spokesperson for Tuberville announced that the Tuberville Foundation had paused its activities due to an audit, with plans for Tuberville to reform it.
July 2023: Tuberville Reverses Statement on White Nationalists
In July 2023, after initially denying that white nationalists are inherently racist, Tuberville reversed his statement a day later, saying, "White nationalists are racists."
October 2023: Hayden's Comment on Tuberville
In October 2023, Michael Hayden, a retired Air Force general, suggested that Tuberville not be considered human, after a social-media post asked whether Tuberville should be removed from his committee assignments.
December 24, 2023: Doxxing and Swatting Incident
On December 24, 2023, Tommy Tuberville was a victim of doxxing and swatting, alongside other prominent figures.
2023: Military Promotions Blockade
For 10 months in 2023, Tuberville blocked all promotions of senior officers in the U.S. military to protest Defense Department policies on abortion.
March 29, 2024: Tuberville Accuses Democrats of Being a "Satanic Cult"
On March 29, 2024, 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.
June 2024: Tuberville Calls Zelenskyy a "Dictator"
In June 2024, Tuberville called Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and commented on Russian president Vladimir Putin's intentions regarding Ukraine and Europe.
January 2025: Tuberville Comments on Transgender Children
In January 2025, Tuberville said that transgender children should "live in fear" of their parents as he believed the parents were turning them trans, which Tuberville called "child abuse".
2025: Mahomes Recruiting Claim
In 2025, Tuberville claimed he recruited Patrick Mahomes to Texas Tech, but Mahomes refuted this claim.
2025: Tuberville Praises Trump's Proposal for Gaza
In 2025, Tuberville praised Trump's proposal to have the U.S. take over the Gaza Strip, calling it "a good idea".
