U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has drawn harsh criticism in the past few days from members of the Democratic and Republican parties regarding his recent comments about white nationalism. Leadership from within his own party has even criticized him openly regarding the issue.

However, on Wednesday, Tuberville (R-Auburn) stood firm and told reporters he is “sick” of the term white nationalist being used so liberally.

“The people in the Republican party are not white nationalists, we are Americans that believe in the American way and our Constitution,” Tuberville said. “I am sick of the Democrats throwing that at us. Republicans, conservatives, Christians, and Trump fans do not need to be put into that category.

“Here is what’s happened since I’ve been here the first day was January 6th ,by the way, when we had the problems in the capital. We came back to session that night and from the Democratic side we we’re all called white nationalists, white extremists, we were called everything in the book.

“They were pointing at us.”

In his comments, Tuberville also made clear that he was against white nationalism within the U.S. military.

“I understand that white nationalists are racist and we don’t need them in the military but I was trying to get to the point of get us out of it,” he said.

The comments in question that caused the fallout occurred during an interview on CNN. In the interview, Tuberville told the host, “My opinion of a White nationalist, if someone wants to call them White nationalist, to me is an American.”

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.