U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) offered his first response Monday to the liberal media’s outcry that ensued following comments he made during former President Donald Trump’s Oct. 8 rally in Nevada.

In response to questions posed by Alabama Daily News (ADN), Tuberville suggested that progressive policing reforms had led to a nationwide crime spike.

“The issue is crime, not race, but the liberal media is intent on helping Democrats remain in power,” Tuberville said, according to a report from ADN’s Todd Stacy. “Crime has spiked nationwide under Democrats and their ‘Defund the Police’ policies, and I was pointing out the frustration many Americans share when I spoke last weekend.”

Left-wing instate and national media outlets repeatedly misquoted Tuberville’s words and operated under the assumption that he was referring to Black Americans, rather than criminals, in his comments.

“Some people say, ‘Well, they’re soft on crime.’ No. They’re not soft on crime. They’re pro-crime. They want crime,” he said of Democrats during the speech. “They want crime because they want to take over what you’ve got. They want to control what you have. They want reparation because they think the people that do the crime are owed that. Bulls**t! They are not owed that.”

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Tuberville pointed to the Antifa and Black Lives Matter-inspired riots that ensued in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd.

“Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and rioters have caused over $2 billion in damage to our cities since 2020,” Tuberville said Monday. “Illegal immigrants and drugs are streaming across our southern border in record numbers. Progressive prosecutors across the nation refuse to enforce laws they personally disagree with, and our communities are suffering because of it.”

Alabama prisoners broke out in protest and published a list of demands to the state’s criminal justice system last month, which included the end of life without parole. State Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) said the criminals’ demands were not “unreasonable.”

“Even Alabama Democrats want to satisfy the outrageous demands of murderers and rapists currently on work-strike in state prisons,” Tuberville said. “Democrats favor criminals over the victims through their actions and policies.”

RELATED: State Rep. Simpson: Some offenses deserve life without parole

Tuberville, a staunch anti-crime advocate in the upper chamber of Congress, vowed to continue his efforts to pursue policies that ensure “safer communities and accountability for criminals.”

“As a coach, building young people of character was one of my top priorities,” he said. “As a senator, I want to ensure that we create policies at the national level that reinforce values such as integrity and accountability.

“I will continue to fight for safer communities and accountability for criminals. Americans should not live in fear.“

Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL