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Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., on Tuesday sought to defend a post on social media comparing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s speech to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Tuberville shared a post last week that combined a photo of the Twin Towers terror attack with a photo of Mamdani, who is seen hosting a Ramadan Iftar event at City Hall. An account called “End Wokeness” posted the photos along with the message, “Under 25 years apart.”
“The enemy is within the gates,” Tuberville told X in response to the photo.
Asked to explain what X wrote on social media, Tuberville said, “I’m just talking about his words.”
GOP SENATOR GETS DEM BACKLASH FOR ‘ENEMY IS WITHIN THE GATES’ ABOUT NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., defended his social media post comparing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the 9/11 attacks. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“He’s made a lot of statements about his stance on Islam and radical Islam, all things that are consistent with what he preaches every day. And I’m just repeating what he says,” the senator told DC News Now’s Reshad Hudson.
“We don’t need division in this country. We need everyone to comply with the Constitution, to understand that we have morals. And if we all adhere to that — I don’t care if you’re Muslim or Catholic or Baptist, it doesn’t make a difference,” he continued.
He added, “We have to make the country better; there’s no need to divide it. That’s what he’s doing in New York.”
REPUBLICAN SAYS ‘SUMMER IS NOT IN THE AMERICAN CONGRESS,’ THROUGH VIOLENT DEMOCRATIC RETURN
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he doesn’t care about a person’s religious background. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
When asked if Muslim Americans in Alabama might find his position offensive, Tuberville said he has “great friends who are Muslim” and that he spoke to “two Iranians in Alabama this past week about the war. Obviously, they’re Muslim.”
“If you teach and preach Sharia law, if you bow down to the Quran, it teaches death to the American people. That doesn’t fly with me, okay?” he said, although the Quran does not refer to the US or Americans.
The Alabama attorney and former college football coach reiterated that he doesn’t care about a person’s religious background.
“Hey, come be a part of our country [and] don’t try to divide people, don’t try to push your culture — of course we have culture — [then] I’m doing everything for you,” he added.
Tuberville made other social media posts Tuesday that targeted Islam.
The senator’s controversial comments drew criticism from Democrats, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“Radical Islam is the enemy of any freedom-loving American. The liberal media turns on Radical Islamists, but the Quran is VERY CLEAR in its commands to KILL all non-Muslims,” he said in another post.
“For anyone offended by me calling Islamic jihadists the enemy: If the shoe fits, wear it,” he said in another post.
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The senator’s first “enemy is within the gates” comment, which was posted on his X account as of Wednesday morning, prompted a sharp rebuke from Democrats, including Mamdani, who is Muslim.
“Let there be great anger among politicians in Washington if children are hungry like there is when I break bread with the people of New York,” said Mamdani to X in response to the senator’s position.
