Trump endorsement flip scrambles Alabama race
MONTGOMERY, ALA. » Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks has run his race for Senate on former President Donald Trump’s election lies, refusing to accept the outcome of the 2020 contest. He’s campaigned alongside the organizers of the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the storming of the Capitol building — the rally where he infamously told the crowd it was time to start “kicking ass.”
“I was proud to stand with Mo Brooks on that stage that day,” said Amy Kremer, chair of Women for America First. “Mo has the truth on his side.”
But Brooks’ efforts weren’t enough to keep him in Trump’s favor. The former president rescinded his early Brooks endorsement back in March and then snubbed him a second time, endorsing his rival Katie Britt ahead of Tuesday’s Republican runoff election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Britt’s former boss, retiring GOP Sen. Richard Shelby.
Alabama is one of a handful of states holding contests Tuesday at the midpoint of a primary season that has been shaped by Trump’s effort to influence the GOP.
But the Alabama Senate runoff has drawn particular attention both because of the drama surrounding Trump’s endorsement and the fact that the winner will likely prevail in November in a state Trump won twice by more than 25 percentage points.
Trump initially endorsed Brooks in the spring of 2021, rewarding an ardent champion of his baseless claims of a stolen election. Brooks had voted against certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory and delivered a fiery speech at the rally before the U.S. Capitol insurrection, telling the crowd, “Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.”
But nearly a year later, Trump rescinded his support after the pair’s relationship soured and as the conservative firebrand languished in the polls. Trump blamed his decision on comments Brooks had made months earlier, at an August rally, when he said it was time for the party to move on from the 2020 presidential race — comments Trump claimed showed Brooks, one of the most conservative members of Congress, had gone “woke.”
But the move was widely seen as an effort by Trump to save face amid other losses, and Brooks alleged that it came after he informed Trump that there was no way to “rescind” the 2020 election, remove Biden from power or hold a new special election for the presidency.
Trump’s un-endorsement was widely expected to end Brooks’ campaign. Instead, Brooks managed to finish second in the state’s May 24 primary, earning 29% of the vote to Britt’s 45% and forcing a runoff.