White House Knocks Tuberville Over Warning About ‘Picking Sides’ in Middle East, Military Holds

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., earned a lengthy rebuke from the White House House on Thursday after he warned that "picking sides" in the Middle East can get "messy" as Israel responds to brutal attacks by Hamas that left more than 1,000 dead over the weekend.

In an interview with WBRC, Tuberville said Israel has a right to respond to the attacks, which also left 25 Americans dead, but the United States should be cautious about getting too involved.

"The problem is, when you start picking sides in the Middle East, it can get really messy very quick," the senator said.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates released a lengthy statement pushing back against Tuberville's remarks after highlighting them on X.

Bates called Tuberville a "self-serving politician" and blasted him for continuing to hold up military nominations amid the crisis in Israel.

Tuberville has held up a number of top promotions in protest of a Pentagon policy providing leave for service members who need to travel out of state from where they are stationed to receive abortion care.

"As President Biden rapidly deploys ships and aircraft to deter further attacks on Israel, CNN reports that 'Tuberville’s blockade means that the current commander of the US Navy’s 5th fleet – which is responsible for US naval operations in the Middle East region including the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman – is still awaiting promotion to deputy commander of US Central Command,'" Bates wrote in the lengthy memo response to Tuberville.

The White House spokesperson cited bipartisan calls for Tuberville to stop his military blockade and warned the Alabama lawmaker, "this is not a game."

"Regardless of any delusions Senator Tuberville is under, this is not a game. The stakes for America’s military could not be higher. And the abhorrent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel are an inescapable reminder that Tuberville is intentionally undermining our military readiness in the name of personal politics," he wrote. "And when it comes to the horrific events in Israel, President Biden knows which side he’s on. Senator Tuberville should look in the mirror and then follow the President's lead."