U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville voiced support for President Trump’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and slammed skeptical colleagues in a Tuesday afternoon speech on the Senate floor.
Following a heated Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, in which both Republican and Democratic senators criticized Kennedy’s management of HHS, Tuberville posted on X to make clear his continued support of Kennedy.
Tuberville doubled down on Tuesday.
“What the American people saw last week in the Finance Committee with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was not a hearing on oversight. It was a dogpile by politicians who are scared to death of questioning the status quo,” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said.
“It was Washington at its worst — a full-on blitz against one man for the simple crime of telling the truth and refusing to play ball with the Swamp.”
Coach Tuberville, a 40-year veteran of college football sidelines who is running to succeed Kay Ivey as Alabama’s governor in 2026, is widely known for frequent football analogies.
“I spent 40 years in coaching before I got into this clown show. I know what it looks like when a player gets piled on, and I know what it looks like when referees refuse to call a fair game, and I know what it looks like when the other team tries to run up the score. That’s exactly what we saw last week — a coordinated, deep-state, hit-job on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.”
Tuberville took specific aim at Senate Finance Democrats who provoked Kennedy into repeated screaming matches during the hearing.
“Democrats came into that hearing ready to throw every flag they could in an attempt to get 20 seconds of fame on their social media.”
“Senator Wyden opened up with a personal attack, calling for RFK’s resignation. Senator Warnock piled on, calling him a ‘hazard to public health.’ Senator Warren tried to run a trick play, twisting his words to paint him as dishonest, and Senator Sanders just couldn’t stomach the fact that someone finally said out loud what everybody already knows — for years, big pharma money has corrupted politicians and our medical institutions. Big pharma is quietly calling way too many of the plays here in D.C.”
The senator then turned to committee Republicans.
“And, I was particularly disappointed because several of my Republican colleagues joined in on this fiasco.”
“Something I’ve learned is, when you challenge the status quo, you find out real quick who’s willing to stand with you and who’s just concerned with getting reelected,” Tuberville said.
During the hearing last Thursday, Republican Senators Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) expressed their doubts over Kennedy’s ability to continue to lead HHS.
“I didn’t come to Washington to protect the Swamp. I came here to fight for the great state of Alabama and the people across this country, for the parents trying to raise healthy kids, and for families who have felt lied to by their government, for the hardworking folks who lost their jobs simply because they chose not to take the COVID vaccine,” Tuberville said in closing.
“I’m proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with RFK, Jr. — he’s not perfect; none of us are — but he’s in the fight for the right reasons. He’s fighting for accountability, transparency, and for the health and freedom of the American people, and that’s a team I’m proud to be on.”
Riley McArdle is a contributor for Yellowhammer News. He is a Senior majoring in Political Science at the University of Alabama and currently serves as Chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama. You can follow him on X @rileykmcardle.
