On a Thursday morning call with Alabama media outlets, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) expressed his continued approval of President Donald Trump’s effort to combat crime in Washington, D.C. and gave some insight into what a similar operation may look like in Alabama’s cities under his governorship.
“Washington, D.C. is the capital of the free world and is supposed to be a place where Americans can visit and feel safe. I want Alabamians to feel safe when they come to my office or visit the monuments with their families,” Tuberville said.
“D.C. is a national treasure, and America is a beacon of freedom to the rest of the world. Our capital city should reflect that.”
“What President Trump is doing in D.C. should serve as an example to every crime-infested city in the country,” he continued.
“It’s not just blue states, either. Crime is out of control in several blue cities and red cities, including Alabama, and I’ve said this before, cavalry is coming. To every soft on crime, mayor and city council member, love it or leave it. We are a nation of law and order. Don’t like it? Move to Europe.”
Tuberville, who is widely expected to handily win the Alabama governor’s office next November, recently said that he would be willing to deploy the Alabama National Guard to cities that have recently struggled with violent crime, such as Birmingham and Montgomery.
He reiterated that point on Thursday, emphasizing that a feeling of security is essential for Alabama families and would be a priority of his administration.
“You can have the greatest family, the best education, you could have a great job, but if you don’t have safe neighborhoods and streets and don’t feel safe, you have nothing. You have to have security. You have to feel secure when you go to the drugstore, you go to the grocery store, or your wife goes and go shopping with your kids. You have to have that feeling that everything is safe around you,” Tuberville said.
“Well, folks, it is not. And again, a lot of that goes on in our state of Alabama, and if it takes the National Guard, you betcha.”
Asked about the process he has in mind for determining whether National Guard troops are necessary for Alabama cities, Tuberville made it clear that he would work with municipal governments to strengthen local law enforcement before making such a move.
“…At the end of the day, we have to support our local police if they need help. Now I wouldn’t just do it to say, ‘Hey, we’re sending National Guard.’ If the city police, if the state police need help, sure, they’re going to be backed by the National Guard.”
“It all goes back to one thing. You’d have to visit with the mayor. You’d have to visit with the City Council. You’d visit with law enforcement, the people that leadership and law enforcement if it is needed and crime is out of control. I don’t care if it’s in Birmingham or Auburn or Tuscaloosa or Dothan. It makes no difference,” Tuberville said.
Tuberville says any Alabama city could see Guard if crime spikes.
“If we have a problem, we’re going to correct that problem. And if it takes more people — which the next step would be the National Guard — absolutely, we would do the correct thing for the taxpayers of the city that needs help.”
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.
