Tuberville ‘would listen’ to role in administration, but Trump ‘needs a sledgehammer’ in the Senate

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November 7, 2024

After a historic victory earlier this week, President-Elect Donald Trump formally began a transition process that will prepare the appointment of roughly 4,000 positions across the federal government, including 1,200 that require U.S. Senate confirmation. As was the case in 2016 for Trump, that U.S. Senate will be under the control of a decisive GOP majority.

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is close to and liked highly by Trump, is not ruling out serving in the administration, “if there was a position where he could be more impactful for both Alabama and the country,” his communications director said in a statement to Yellowhammer News on Thursday.

“Senator Tuberville has communicated that if there was a position where he could be more impactful for both Alabama and the country that he would listen, but he believes that President Trump needs a sledgehammer in the Senate and right now he is focused on playing that role,” Mallory Blount Jaspers said.

Tuberville, who is up for re-election to his six-year term in the Senate in 2026, has also been speculated to run for Governor of Alabama that same year.

Other senators such as U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) are formally removing their names from consideration in the cabinet and other positions, due in part to the prospect of what can be accomplished under a GOP majority in the U.S. Senate, which will soon elect a new majority leader after the longest reign in the position’s history under Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) comes to a close this month.

A Republican majority in the Senate would qualify Tuberville for committee chairmanships on which he currently serves, including the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, as well as the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

“Sen. Tuberville will help President Trump secure the border, strengthen the military, protect our farmers and veterans, and restore Title IX protections for women and girls everywhere,” Jaspers said in a separate statement. “Sen. Tuberville has also spoken with President Trump several times about the importance of moving Space Command back to its rightful home in Huntsville.”

“In the days and weeks ahead, President Trump will be selecting personnel to serve our nation under his leadership and enact policies that make the life of Americans affordable, safe, and secure,” the Trump Vance 2025 Transition team said on Wednesday morning.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270