Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said he reported former CIA Director Michael Hayden to the Capitol Police in response to a post on social media suggesting that the college football coach-turned-lawmaker should no longer be a member of the human race.
The announcement on Tuesday marks an escalation over Tuberville’s months-long “hold” on the Democrat-led Senate’s ability to quickly approve U.S. military nominees in protest against a Pentagon abortion policy.
Hayden, a retired four-star general who in addition to serving as head of the CIA also worked as chief of the NSA during his career, stirred controversy when he responded to a post on X on Monday that asked, “Should Tommy Tuberville be removed from his committee? Yes or No?” His account replied, “How about the human race?”
How about the human race? https://t.co/UCGCfF1lA3
— Gen Michael Hayden (@GenMhayden) October 10, 2023
The comment prompted a torrent of criticism, including from other GOP lawmakers who regarded what Hayden said as a threat and even the suggestion of an assassination attempt.
“This morning my office was made aware of a statement made by General Michael Hayden calling for a politically motivated assassination,” Tuberville said in a statement. “This statement is disgusting and it is repugnant to everything we believe in as Americans. Given General Hayden’s long career in Washington, he must have known that, by making such a statement, he was committing a serious crime.”
Tuberville added, “His own efforts today to reinterpret what he said are only a tacit admission of guilt. If we still have a nonpolitical justice system in this country, then General Hayden will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My office has reported this incident to the Capitol Police and I expect that they will once again do an excellent job protecting members of Congress and bringing criminals to justice.”
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My statement on General Hayden. pic.twitter.com/KQ0sLz6gTQ
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) October 10, 2023
Hayden, who similarly made headlines last year when he appeared to endorse the execution of people who leak national security secrets amid the classified documents investigation into former President Donald Trump, responded to the latest firestorm in a follow-up post to X on Tuesday morning.
“I was surprised to wake up this morning and discover that many MAGAnuts had lost their minds over my suggestion that ‘Coach’ Tuberville not be considered a member of the human race. I stand by that view. I’m wishing you all a nice day even the intransigent Tommy Tuberville,” Hayden said.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Capitol Police seeking comment.
Tuberville’s statement assailed what he said was the “deafening silence” from Democrats on Hayden, and noted that the former CIA director is “just the latest in a long line of Washington Leftists who have engaged in reckless rhetoric against me over the past few months. This must stop and it must stop now.”