How will Tommy Tuberville's corporate backers respond to his racist diatribe?
Popular Information does not pay attention to corporate marketing, spin, or PR. We have a much more effective way of figuring out what corporations value. WE FOLLOW THE MONEY. In today's edition, we've followed the money from several prominent corporations who say they are committed to racial justice to a United States Senator who is unrepentantly espousing racism. Popular Information is a three-person operation, but there are no other outlets doing this reporting. You can support this work — and expand our capacity to do more of it — with a paid subscription. We understand that the price of a subscription ($6/month or $50/year) is not feasible for everyone. That’s why we took down our paywall. But if you can afford it, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. On Saturday, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) appeared at a rally in Minden, Nevada, to support the Republican nominee for Senate, Adam Laxit. During his speech at the event, which also featured Donald Trump, Tuberville unleashed a racist diatribe against Black Americans. Tuberville said that reparations, which would provide benefits to Black descendants of slaves, would only benefit criminals.
The crowd, full of people wearing Trump hats and other MAGA paraphernalia, responded by erupting in applause. The NAACP, one of the nation's most prominent civil rights organizations, had a decidedly different reaction. "Senator Tuberville's comments are flat out racist, ignorant, and utterly sickening," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement released Monday. "His words promote a centuries-old lie about Black people that throughout history has resulted in the most dangerous policies and violent attacks on our community." CNN anchor Abby Phillip, agreed, calling Tuberville's comments "straight-up racism from a sitting United States senator." The USA Today story about Tuberville's remarks is headlined "GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville promotes racist narrative about Black people, crime at Trump rally." Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), himself a former president of the NAACP, called Tuberville's statement "the most vicious, vile, repugnant, parochial, racist thing I’ve heard in a long, long time." Mfume said that Tuberville had revealed himself as a bigot and called on "every elected official on both sides of the aisle" to condemn his remarks. That did not happen. Tuberville and nearly all Republicans ignored media requests about his racist remarks. One Republican who did comment, Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) insisted that Tuberville's remarks were not racist and advised Tuberville to make the same point with "more polite" language:
Bacon's claim of a "40-50% violent crime increase" is not only irrelevant but also false. According to the latest FBI data, violent crime in the United States fell in 2021. Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate based on the notoriety he gained as a college football coach in Alabama. As journalist Jemele Hill noted, Tuberville owes his success — and the millions of dollars he earned as a coach — largely to the unpaid labor of young black men. Karlos Dansby, an All-American linebacker for Tuberville at Auburn, called Tuberville’s comments “unnecessary, dead wrong, [and] ugly.” Will Jeff Bezos' space company continue to back Tommy Tuberville? Jeff Bezos, one of the world's wealthiest men, presents himself as a champion of racial justice. In May 2020, when Bezos was still CEO of Amazon, the company tweeted that it "stood in solidarity with the Black community… in the fights against systemic racism and injustice." Bezos posted a message he got from a customer complaining about Amazon's support for the Black Lives Matter movement, calling it "sickening." Bezos said that he was "happy to lose" customers who harbor "hate." Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, also bemoaned the "institutional and individual racism that has long plagued our country." In July 2021, Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon. He said his decision was motivated, in part, by his desire to focus more time on Blue Origin. Although Tuberville's term last through 2026, Blue Origin's PAC has donated $6000 over the last two years to support Tuberville's reelection and his leadership PAC. Popular Information contacted Blue Origin and asked if, in light of Tuberville's racist remarks, it would continue to financially support his campaign. Blue Origin did not respond. Tommy Tuberville's other corporate backers On November 2, 2018, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), then a candidate, said she would be willing to attend a lynching. "If [cattle rancher Colin Hutchinson] invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row," Hyde-Smith said to a small crowd. Leidos, a defense contractor, had donated $10,000 to Hyde-Smith's campaign. In response to her comments, Leidos called her remarks “offensive and an affront to everything we stand for as a company.” The company said it would not have donated to Hyde-Smith if it had known about the comments. @JuddLegum @Walmart @cindyhydesmith @UnionPacific @bostonsci @NucorCorp Remarks like those made by Senator Hyde-Smith are offensive and an affront to everything we stand for as a company. The money was sent before the remarks were public. If Leidos had been aware, we would not have made the contribution. Leidos' PAC has donated $4,500 this cycle to support Tuberville's reelection campaign and leadership PAC. The company did not respond to a request for comment on its donations to Tuberville. Another backer of Tuberville's reelection is PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which donated $1,000. In 2020, PwC US Chair Tim Ryan published an open letter saying he was "deeply frustrated by the racism that still exists in this country." Ryan said that while he was "not a member of the Black community, this issue is still personal to me." Ryan pledged to "use my privilege to be a part of the solution and take action—to help dismantle the racism and injustice that has become so pervasive in our society." PwC did not respond to a request for comment. A representative from BAE Systems, another defense contractor, participated in a 2021 TED podcast with Adam Grant about the company's commitment to "racial equality" and combating racism. BAE Systems donated $3,000 to Tuberville in 2022. “We would refer you to our public filings and have no further comment,” a spokesperson for BAE Systems told Popular Information. Other corporate contributors to Tuberville's campaign and leadership PAC since 2021 include Airbus ($2500), Alabama Power ($15,000), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama ($5000), General Dynamics ($5000), Home Depot ($5000), Lockheed Martin ($5000), Merck ($2500), Pfizer ($2500), Regions Financial ($4000), Sanofi ($1000), Tysons Food ($5000), UPS ($10,000). |
Key phrases
Older messages
Who is really financing Herschel Walker's campaign?
Monday, October 10, 2022
On Friday, Nathalie Jacoby tweeted that Home Depot had donated $1.75 million to the Georgia US Senate campaign of Herschel Walker (R). Jacoby, a self-described "Democrat" who offers advice on
How anonymous donors are dominating the 2022 midterm elections
Thursday, October 6, 2022
One of the most powerful groups in the 2022 midterm elections is the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the Super PAC controlled by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The SLF is spending tens of millions of
The other Herschel Walker story
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
On Monday evening, the Daily Beast reported that Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for US Senate in Georgia, paid for a woman he was dating to get an abortion in 2009. The story was significant
Criminally deceptive
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
In their efforts to seize control of the House and Senate, Republicans around the country are attacking their Democratic opponents on criminal justice issues. The focus on "crime and safety"
What happened while Ron DeSantis was fighting the culture wars
Monday, October 3, 2022
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has had a busy year. He has enacted legislation prohibiting teachers from acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people. He has banned private businesses from conducting
You Might Also Like
UK's Investigatory Powers Bill to become law despite tech world opposition [Mon Apr 29 2024]
Monday, April 29, 2024
Hi The Register Subscriber | Log in The Register {* Daily Headlines *} 29 April 2024 secret agent eavesdrops using headphones plugged into an audio centre mounted with tape reels (illustration)
'Stop apologizing and do something, Portugal'
Monday, April 29, 2024
what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator. I have a quick survey prepared, so you can tell me in my face what you like and don't like
QAnon Was Born Out of the Sex Ad Moral Panic That Took Down Backpage.com
Sunday, April 28, 2024
For years, the political establishment opportunistically railed against sex trafficking. Then came Pizzagate. Most Read QAnon Was Born Out of the Sex Ad Moral Panic That Took Down Backpage.com Trevor
Monday Briefing: Plans for Gaza’s future
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Plus, European countries crack down on China's influence. View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition April 29, 2024 Author Headshot By
Guest Newsletter: Five Books
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Five Books features in-depth author interviews recommending five books on a theme Guest Newsletter: Five Books By Sylvia Bishop • 28 Apr 2024 View in browser View in browser Five Books features in-
GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Science Firsthand: Learn how Bristol
🍿 The Hardy Boys on Acid
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Plus: 'The Lord of the Rings' Extended Cut is returning to theaters.
10 Things That Delighted Us: From Cardboard Bed Frames to Compact Makeup Stacks
Sunday, April 28, 2024
The most useful, thoughtful, and just plain fun things we uncovered this week. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may
LEVER WEEKLY: Pentagon Grifts And Zombie Pipelines
Sunday, April 28, 2024
From insurance meltdowns and zombie pipelines to Pentagon grifts, here's all the news from The Lever this week. LEVER WEEKLY: Pentagon Grifts And Zombie Pipelines By The Lever • 28 Apr 2024 View in
Birds
Sunday, April 28, 2024
So hot right now ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏