MS NOW's Steve Benen writes that "by all appearances, Tuberville did make this up"
Cable news network, MaddowBlog post by producer and editor Steve Benen
“Well, you can make this up, and by all appearances, Tuberville did make this up.”
Source and context
Original text
About this source
MaddowBlog post by Steve Benen, producer for The Rachel Maddow Show and editor of MaddowBlog on MS NOW, on Senator Tuberville's floor remarks. It quotes the passage from Tuberville's office transcript and notes he is the Republican nominee for Alabama governor.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The post quotes the passage about airline personnel from the transcript published by Tuberville's office.
After the quotation
It notes that Tuberville is the Republican nominee for Alabama governor and says his closing message is about bringing back mental institutions and fearing furries who fly airplanes.
How this statement is classified
Responding to: Many airline pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers are part of the furry community.
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Tuberville's claim that many airline pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers are furries and a flight-safety risk. The post says Tuberville "did make this up", which rejects the claim as invented rather than only disputing its wording.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Tommy Tuberville

Is there evidence for Tommy Tuberville's claim that furries working in the airline industry are a flight-safety risk?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“Tuberville wants to focus on anything except the real problems facing the American public, starting with the skyrocketing cost of fuel. He could end the Iran War and protect the public from predatory AI, but instead he’s calling Care Bear “violent” to try to distract people from the real problems he helped create.”Read statement
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
“Thanks for the shoutout, Senator Tuberville. We’re proud to be part of the furry community … OUR FURRY FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HELP KEEP OUR SKIES SAFE TOO.”Read statement
“Some, not all. … They have a club. They have an organization. … they had a section of airline pilots … Well, I don't want somebody flying me that's behind the scenes that they think they're an animal. … It's some part of mental illness that could be a catastrophe.”Read statement