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.”
Read the original text (opens in a new tab)Alabama's Tuberville worries aloud about airline personnel joining 'the furry community' · MS NOWMaddowBlog post, Sept. 23, 2026, 4:05 p.m. EDT

Source and context

Original text

Alabama's Tuberville worries aloud about airline personnel joining 'the furry community' (opens in a new tab) · MS NOWMaddowBlog post, Sept. 23, 2026, 4:05 p.m. EDT

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

Condemned

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.

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Tommy Tuberville
Editorial split-screen composite of Senator Tommy Tuberville and fursuiters at ConFuzzled 2026.
Credit: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio; Padgriffin; composite by The Dispute Index

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Sara Nelson

“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.”
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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.”
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Tommy Tuberville

“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.”
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