In endorsing incumbent Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) over his Republican opponent, convicted felon and former Rep. Michael Grimm, President Donald Trump reminded voters about the shambles surrounding a recent Alabama Senate race, which ended with a Democrat winning a Senate seat over a Republican — and accused child molester — for the first time in a quarter-century.
“Very importantly, @RepDonDonovan will win for the Republicans in November … and his opponent will not. Remember Alabama,” he tweeted Wednesday evening.
There is no one better to represent the people of N.Y. and Staten Island (a place I know very well) than @RepDanDonovan, who is strong on Borders & Crime, loves our Military & our Vets, voted for Tax Cuts and is helping me to Make America Great Again. Dan has my full endorsement!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
Very importantly, @RepDanDonovan will win for the Republicans in November…and his opponent will not. Remember Alabama. We can’t take any chances on losing to a Nancy Pelosi controlled Democrat!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018
While both candidates have attempted to paint themselves as friends of Trump in the Staten Island and Brooklyn district, Trump likely wants to steer clear of Grimm, as he attempts to make a resurgence after serving seven months in prison for a federal tax fraud conviction.
Despite Trump’s glowing endorsement of Donovan as someone who “voted for Tax Cuts and is helping me to Make America Great Again,” Donovan actually opposed the Republican tax reform measure and voted against it in every form, according to Politico. The congressman even told the media at one point that he couldn’t support the legislation because it was a “tax hike on the people I represent.”
In the Alabama Republican Senate primaries for Attorney General Jeff Sessions former seat, Trump endorsed incumbent candidate Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL), who lost the GOP nomination to Roy Moore.
While the White House was hesitant to embrace Moore — who was twice unseated as the state chief justice, had a history of making controversial statements and was accused by several women of sexual misconduct when they were teens and Moore was in his 30s — Trump eventually gave him his full-throated support ahead of the election which ended in a shocking victory for Democrat now-Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL).
