Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and transgenderism
The Alabama Republican made unsubstantiated claims on the Senate floor about pilots and transgender people.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of AlabamaAP
Photograph: Daily Kos (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Senator Tommy Tuberville claimed that many airline pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers are part of the furry community.
- Tuberville linked the furry community to transgenderism, suggesting it involved sexual attraction to animals and dressing up as them.
- He cited the killings of Charlie Kirk and the assassination attempt against President Trump to support claims that transgender people were becoming violent.
- Tuberville called for doctors providing gender-transition treatment to be imprisoned for life.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 39 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 5 of the 44 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
68/100
44 sources · methodology
Missing from the right
Only 7 of the 39 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
Senator Tommy Tuberville claimed on the Senate floor that many airline pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers are part of the furry community. He stated that this was "terrifying" and suggested that passengers could be flying with pilots who have a "deranged fetish" for dressing as animals. Tuberville also linked the furry community to transgenderism, describing it as a "bizarre subset" that involves sexual attraction to animals and dressing up as them.
Tuberville used the claims to support his assertion that transgender people are becoming violent. He cited the killings of Charlie Kirk and the assassination attempt against President Trump as evidence. Tuberville alleged that the suspect in Kirk's killing and the suspect in the assassination attempt against President Trump had been involved in online furry culture. He also called for doctors providing gender-transition treatment to be imprisoned for life.
Disagreement on the nature of Tuberville's claims
The Daily Kos reported that Senator Tuberville spent 20 minutes on the Senate floor "spewing an abusive and ignorant diatribe against transgender people." BNO News stated that Tuberville made remarks on the Senate floor while standing beside a poster showing a pregnant man emoji beneath the words "TRANSGENDERISM IS A MENTAL DISEASE." BNO News also reported that Tuberville said he would call transgender people "gender confused" because he rejected the idea that someone could change their sex.
What the coverage left out
No right-rated outlet ran this story. None of the reports below mention any specific safety incident involving a furry pilot or other airline personnel. The reports do not detail any specific studies Tuberville may have been referring to when he cited an "unidentified 2022 study" about violent radicalization among transgender youth.
Coverage settled. We checked this 28 times and stopped on 29 Sept 2026, 21:45. The figures above are what it finished at.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
24 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports led on Senator Tommy Tuberville's claims about airline personnel being part of the furry community and his attacks on transgender people. Daily Kos reported that Tuberville was "spewing an abusive and ignorant diatribe against transgender people" and that he "lied about children receiving secret surgeries." LGBTQ Nation stated that Tuberville claimed "doctors are performing secret surgeries on trans kids & that furry aviation workers are endangering us all." Raw Story reported that Tuberville "ranted that 'deranged' people are taking over the airports."
Centre
8 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports focused on Senator Tommy Tuberville's claims about "furry" pilots and his broader attacks on transgender people. Alabama Live reported that former Democratic candidate Doug Jones called Tuberville's speech "the strangest I have ever heard." BNO News reported that Tuberville warned that airline passengers could be flying with pilots who have a "deranged fetish" for dressing as animals and called for doctors providing gender-transition treatment to be imprisoned for life.
Right
7 rated outlets
We have not written our reading of the right coverage of this story. The right-rated outlets that ran it are listed below.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and…?
- Of the 39 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 62% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 18% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 44. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 39 rated outlets on this story, 62% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 18% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and… biased?
- Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and transgenderism is one event reported by 44 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Senator Tommy Tuberville links furries to airline safety and…?
- 44 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Senator Tommy Tuberville claim about airline personnel?
- Senator Tommy Tuberville claimed that many airline pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers are part of the furry community. He expressed that this was a "terrifying" prospect and suggested it posed a danger to air travel.
- How did Tuberville link the furry community to transgenderism?
- Tuberville described the furry community as a "bizarre subset of transgenderism." He suggested it involved sexual attraction to animals and dressing up as them, and used these claims to support his assertions about transgender people becoming violent.
- What did Tuberville say about doctors providing gender-transition treatment?
- Senator Tuberville called for doctors who provide gender-transition treatment to have their medical licenses revoked and to "spend the rest of their lives in prison." He accused them of withholding information and performing procedures on minors without parental consent.
Read it at the source
44 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
24- This Republican mocked as Senate’s ‘dumbest’ over 'furry' epidemic claim (opens lehighvalleylive in a new tab)
lehighvalleylive — is lehighvalleylive biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump ally Tuberville obsesses over ‘furries’ in US airline industry: (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump ally Tuberville obsesses over ‘furries’ in US airline industry: (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Tommy Tuberville Dragged After Claiming Air Travel Industry Is Overrun With 'Furries' In Bonkers Senate Floor Rant (opens Comic Sands in a new tab)
Comic Sands — is Comic Sands biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- What is 'furry culture' and why is Tommy Tuberville against it?" (opens USA Today in a new tab)
USA Today — is USA Today biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- George Conway declares 'dumbest US Senator' amid stiff 'competition' (opens Alternet in a new tab)
- Tuberville, Britt relaunch attacks on transgender Americans (opens alabamareflector.com in a new tab)
alabamareflector.com — is alabamareflector.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MAGA Sen. Goes On A Tear Over Furries In The Airline Industry (opens HuffPost in a new tab)
HuffPost — is HuffPost biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Show 16 more
- Senator Tuberville Again Raises Alarm About ‘Club’ of Pilot Furries: ‘Follow the Information’ (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- Senator Tommy Tuberville: pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers are furries (opens Boing Boing in a new tab)
Boing Boing — is Boing Boing biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tuberville Warns Of A New Danger In American Skies (opens Crooks and Liars in a new tab)
Crooks and Liars — is Crooks and Liars biased? Our profile of this outlet
- GOP lawmaker has wild 20-minute meltdown on Senate floor over “furry pilots” & trans people (opens Queerty in a new tab)
- Tommy Tuberville Alerts Nation To Shocking Threat Of Furries In Cockpits (opens Wonkette in a new tab)
Wonkette — is Wonkette biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville calls trans people 'deranged' and rants about furry pilots in bizarre speech (opens The Advocate in a new tab)
The Advocate — is The Advocate biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville Calls Trans People “Deranged” and Rants About Furry Pilots in Bizarre Speech (opens them in a new tab)
- I'm Sorry, Did Tommy Tuberville Somehow Not Know The Airline Industry Is Full Of Furries? (opens Jalopnik in a new tab)
Jalopnik — is Jalopnik biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- MAGA Senator Goes on Crazed Posting Spree About Furries (opens The New Republic in a new tab)
The New Republic — is The New Republic biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- MAGA Senator Roasted Over Bizarre ‘Furry’ Pilot Freakout (opens The Daily Beast in a new tab)
The Daily Beast — is The Daily Beast biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- One of Our Senators Actually Thinks Airline Pilots Are Secretly Furries (opens Esquire in a new tab)
- GOP Senator Ahead of Midterms: Furry Airline Pilots Are ‘Terrifying’ (opens RollingStone in a new tab)
RollingStone — is RollingStone biased? Our profile of this outlet
- GOP senator freaks out over ‘furries’ flying the friendly skies (opens Daily Kos in a new tab)
Daily Kos — is Daily Kos biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Tuberville Calls For Institutionalizing Trans People, Claims “Many Airline Pilots” Are Trans Furries (opens Joe.My.God. in a new tab)
Joe.My.God. — is Joe.My.God. biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'Lord help us!' GOP senator rants that 'deranged' people are taking over the airports (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- Senator says “furry” pilots are taking over airlines because of trans people: “We’re sitting ducks!” (opens LGBTQ Nation in a new tab)
LGBTQ Nation — is LGBTQ Nation biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
8- 'Lord help us': Tuberville decries 'furry' culture on the Senate floor (opens The New York Ledger in a new tab)
The New York Ledger — is The New York Ledger biased? Our profile of this outlet
- This Republican mocked as Senate’s ‘dumbest’ over 'furry' epidemic claim (opens Staten Island Advance in a new tab)
Staten Island Advance — is Staten Island Advance biased? Our profile of this outlet
- This Republican mocked as Senate’s ‘dumbest’ over 'furry' epidemic claim (opens The Oregonian in a new tab)
The Oregonian — is The Oregonian biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tuberville Says Furry Pilots Could Cause a “Catastrophe” - Evidence for That Claim Is Missing (opens News Facts Network in a new tab)
News Facts Network — is News Facts Network biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tuberville Says ‘Many’ Pilots Are Part of ‘Furry Community’ (opens Political Wire in a new tab)
Political Wire — is Political Wire biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tommy Tuberville Claims ‘Many’ Pilots, Flight Attendants Are Furries (opens Newsweek in a new tab)
- Doug Jones: Tuberville’s furry pilot speech is ‘the strangest I have ever heard’ (opens Alabama Live in a new tab)
Alabama Live — is Alabama Live biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Senator Tuberville targets ‘furry’ pilots in speech attacking transgender people (opens BNO News in a new tab)
Right
7- 'Lord help us': Tuberville decries 'furry' culture on the Senate floor (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sen. Tuberville gets mocked for warning about pilots with 'deranged fetish' — then he brings the receipts (opens Conservative Review in a new tab)
Conservative Review — is Conservative Review biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Sen. Tuberville gets mocked for warning about pilots with 'deranged fetish' — then he brings the receipts (opens The Blaze in a new tab)
The Blaze — is The Blaze biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Tommy Tuberville Explains Why He Thinks So Many Furries Are Involved in Aviation (opens WVII / Fox Bangor in a new tab)
WVII / Fox Bangor — is WVII / Fox Bangor biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville claims ‘many’ airline pilots, air traffic controllers ‘part of the furry community’ (opens New York Post in a new tab)
New York Post — is New York Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Senator Mocked for Claiming Complete Weirdos Are Flying the Planes in the Friendly Skies. But… (opens PJ Media in a new tab)
PJ Media — is PJ Media biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Tommy Tuberville Explains Why He Thinks So Many Furries Are Involved in Aviation (opens TMZ in a new tab)
Not rated
5- Senator Tommy Tuberville Doubles Down on Claims About "Furries" in Aviation - The Bulkhead Seat (opens thebulkheadseat.com in a new tab)
thebulkheadseat.com — is thebulkheadseat.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The dumbest man in congress (opens Freethought Blogs in a new tab)
Freethought Blogs — is Freethought Blogs biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- U.S. Senator Warns Your Airline Pilot May Secretly Dress Up As An Animal (opens Live and Let's Fly in a new tab)
Live and Let's Fly — is Live and Let's Fly biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Senator Warns Your Airline Pilot Could Be A Furry In Bizarre Floor Speech—‘Lord Help Us’ (opens View from the Wing in a new tab)
View from the Wing — is View from the Wing biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alabama’s Tuberville worries aloud about airline personnel joining ‘the furry community’ (opens BizToc in a new tab)
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