President Donald Trump’s loyalty to Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) was already dwindling on Friday when he made a campaign stop in Alabama to stump for the incumbent candidate ahead of Tuesday’s Republican primary run-off election.
During the rally he questioned whether he’d made a “mistake” in supporting Strange and said if Strange lost the nomination, he would come back to campaign for his opponent.
After former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore clenched the Republican nomination Tuesday night for the race for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ former seat, Trump was quick to throw his weight behind the controversial conservative, tweeting his congratulations late Tuesday.
Congratulations to Roy Moore on his Republican Primary win in Alabama. Luther Strange started way back & ran a good race. Roy, WIN in Dec!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2017
The two also reportedly talked on the phone sometime before 11:15 p.m.
Trump say’s he’s already a fan.
“Spoke to Roy Moore of Alabama last night for the first time. Sounds like a really great guy who ran a fantastic race. He will help to #MAGA!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.
Spoke to Roy Moore of Alabama last night for the first time. Sounds like a really great guy who ran a fantastic race. He will help to #MAGA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2017
Moore tweeted a photo of himself on the phone Tuesday night, confirming he was talking to the President.
“I look forward to working with the President to win in December!” he said.
Great to talk with President Trump tonight about #ALSen!
I very much look forward to working with the President to win in December! pic.twitter.com/A72Fdc6Mua
— Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) September 27, 2017
The budding friendship comes after Trump spent months stumping for Strange, who was backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY) and was appointed to Sessions’ seat by the state’s former governor.
When Moore was declared the winner of the Republican nomination, Trump reportedly deleted several tweets he’d posted encouraging people to vote for Strange.
Moore is known as a religious conservative who has a controversial past. He was twice kicked off of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to remove a monument of the ten commandments from the court and refusing to recognize same-sex marriage.
