Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) posted on X Friday, in honor of families who lost a loved one serving in the Armed Forces.
"Today, we honor our Gold Star Spouses whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice," Tuberville posted. "Our nation is forever indebted to you and your family. Thank you for your service, strength, and resilience."
But his words weren't well received.
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Commenters on social media responded with rage and indignation, reminding the former football coach that he spent months blocking hundreds of military promotions in an attempt to force the military to rescind a policy that let women take medical leave to have abortions in states where the procedure was legal. The holds ultimately strained military readiness so severely that even his fellow Republicans forced him to back down.
"@TTuberville likes gold star families so much that he delayed, purposefully, dozens of promotions," posted the account @DittiePE. "Doing so almost gave us even MORE gold star families for Tommy to like."
"SAID THE MAN WHO STOPPED PROMOTIONS, AND SCREWED UP MILITARY LIVES, EVERYWHERE!!!" posted actor Bill Smitrovich. "GO AWAY!!!! COACH POP WARNER FOOTBALL IN RUSSIA."
"Trying to rip off veterans again and buy a new truck?" posted the account @DSWiese.
"You stopped the military promotions - hurting the military, their families and certainly the spouses," posted comedian Jenelle V. "Your words are empty. #HonorUSAMilitary"
"Aren't you the guy who blocked military promotions for months?" posted the account @ThomB01. "NOW you're 'honoring' the military? Hypocrite."
"This is rich coming from you," posted the account @OldSoul3333. "Using Gold Star families as a prop is extremely disgusting but not surprising coming from you. There’s nothing you can do to earn respect from decent moral people. Nothing."
"You of all people have no right to say anything to our military after you treated them and their leadership so shabbily," wrote the account @DonnaResist, which identified herself as an Air Force brat, on Friday.