President Trump endorsed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in his race against Democrat Doug Jones.
Donald Trump fully endorsed Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl and assaulting a 16-year-old girl, finally vocalizing what he had seemingly only just resisted doing in previous weeks.
On Twitter early Monday morning, Trump tweeted that “we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama.”
Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2017
Trump had previously danced around supporting Moore directly on Nov. 26 by instead blasting his opponent, Doug Jones, as a “Schumer/Pelosi puppet” who was “the last thing we need in Alabama.”
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementThe last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY. Jones would be a disaster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017
Not long after, in what appeared to be an effort to distance himself from Moore without actually unendorsing him, he stood by his statement that Alabamians should not vote for a Democrat but reminded his followers he supported Luther Strange in the Republican primary.
AdvertisementI endorsed Luther Strange in the Alabama Primary. He shot way up in the polls but it wasn’t enough. Can’t let Schumer/Pelosi win this race. Liberal Jones would be BAD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017
Five days before those half-endorsements, he told reporters, “I can tell you one thing for sure: We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat.” He added, “We do not need somebody that’s going to be bad on crime, bad on borders, bad with the military, bad for the Second Amendment.” And in response to questions about the sexual misconduct allegations, Trump said, “Roy Moore denies it; that’s all I can say.”
AdvertisementTrump’s previous partial endorsements came a week or two after the latest round of allegations against Moore, which included new accusers and reporting that found he was known to cruise his local mall in his 30s looking to flirt with high school girls.
AdvertisementSince those accusations came to light, Moore has seemed to at least partially follow Trump’s playbook in dealing with sexual misconduct allegations, denying the accusations and proclaiming himself the target of a liberal conspiracy (spearheaded by liberals, “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered who want to change our culture,” he told an Alabama crowd Wednesday)—a belief more than 60 percent of Alabama Republicans appear to share, according to a CBS poll. Moore has also threatened lawsuits (against the Washington Postand Alabama media; Trump threatened lawsuits against his accusers) and attempted to discredit the women.
AdvertisementIn response to Trump’s full endorsement Monday, Roy Moore promised “to help him #DrainTheSwamp.” The election takes place Dec. 12.
Tweet Share Share CommentThankful for President Trump's support.
— Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) December 4, 2017
The America First agenda will #MAGA. Can't wait to help him #DrainTheSwamp.#ALSEN https://t.co/pYu9h7TYVN