Trump Ally Celebrates Donald Putting People in Jail

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has raised eyebrows by saying people will "go to jail" if Donald Trump wins in November.

Tuberville, an Alabama Republican who is a close ally of the former president, made the remark during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, saying that this election year is going to be a "test" for Republicans.

He went on: "It's going to be a huge test. They're coming after you. They're going to come after you. They're going to vilify you. You're going to see everything in the world said about Donald Trump or your local conservative politician.

"We've got to stand strong. This is going to be the toughest thing in the world as you see. They are going to come after you, they're going to come after your churches. Anything to do with any kind of discipline, your law enforcement," he said.

Tuberville warned that this election year is going to be such a "tough time" because those who he believes are targeting conservatives "can't give up."

"They know a lot of these people are going to go to jail when Donald Trump gets elected, and I'm going to be right there helping him," Tuberville said.

The senator's remarks brought a backlash on social media.

"Tommy Tuberville says he'll help jail people when Trump is back in charge. Not even trying to hide the authoritarianism anymore," posted Kyle Whitmire, a columnist for Alabama.com.

"Sen. Tommy Tuberville says he will help put people in jail if Donald Trump is reelected," posted Republican Accountability, an organization of anti-Trump Republicans.

"He is a disloyal traitor," posted The Intellectualist.

Newsweek reached out by email to Tuberville's office for further comment.

Trump, who remains the clear front-runner in the GOP nomination race, has made "retribution" a key theme of his campaign, at times drawing rebuke from both Democratic and Republican critics.

He told his supporters in a March 2023 speech, "I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution." His rhetoric has led to concerns from security experts about the potential for violence related to the November election.

Trump has hinted he would seek retribution against several groups that he believes have unjustly targeted him legally. Trump, who has four ongoing criminal cases against him, has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to charges.

These groups include the Bidens, whom he has suggested he may investigate; prosecutors he believes have targeted him for political purposes; uncooperative civil servants; and MSNBC, which he says should have to pay for "illegal political activity."