Former President Donald J. Trump has re-entered the Alabama primary, this time endorsing senate candidate Katie Britt after he previously unendorsed her election run-off opponent Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL).
In late May, The Daily Wire reported that Britt received the most votes in the state’s GOP primary, but failed to secure more than 50% support on election night. She will now face Brooks, who placed second in the election, in a primary runoff on June 21. Britt, outgoing Alabama GOP Senator Richard Shelby’s former chief of staff, secured 44.76% of the vote, according to Decision Desk HQ, while Brooks received 29.16%.
Friday evening, Trump released a statement saying, “Mo has been wanting it back ever since,” in reference to his rescinded endorsement, “but I cannot give it to him!”
“Katie Britt, on the other hand, is a fearless America First Warrior,” he claimed.
In March, Trump pulled his support for Brooks after the congressman said it was time to move on from focusing on the 2020 election.
“When I endorsed Mo Brooks, he took a 44-point lead and was unstoppable. He then hired a new campaign staff who ‘brilliantly’ convinced him to ‘stop talking about the 2020 Election,’” Trump said at the time.
“Very sad but, since he decided to go in another direction, so have I, and I am hereby withdrawing my Endorsement of Mo Brooks for the Senate,” he continued. “I don’t think the great people of Alabama will disagree with me. Election Fraud must be captured and stopped, or we won’t have a Country anymore.”
Britt meanwhile has been positioning herself to voters as a steadfast supporter of Trump’s America First agenda, who will also bring something new to the Capitol.
“We are relentlessly visiting with voters across this great state,” Britt told Yellowhammer News this past week. “It is clear that people want new blood, they want fresh blood. They want someone to go to D.C. to shake it up — somebody that will fight for our values and fight for our people. And so there is no doubt that we are the best America First candidate and the person to go make those things happen. So we’re excited to make this happen on June 21st and look forward to continuing to earn the votes of every Alabamian across the state.”
Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes also endorsed Britt and appeared with her on the campaign trail this past week.
“I live nearby. I live just across the border in Tennessee, but if I did live in Alabama, I’d be voting for Katie, and I’ll tell you why,” Cortes told Yellowhammer News. “She is really the dynamic, next generation of America First. And what I mean by that specifically is that she believes in sovereignty, she believes in cultural conservatism, she believes in populist economics for this country, and really placing America first.”
“And I’ll also tell you, on the other hand, when I look at her opponent, when I look at Mo Brooks, I see someone who unfortunately has sold out all too often to the Washington establishment,” he added. “Somebody who has, at times, [been] tired and predictable in his views, and to be specific, especially as it relates to his views and vote on Ukraine.”
For his part, Brooks blasted Trump’s decision Friday night.
“This is weird: last time Donald Trump talked about Katie Britt, he said she was unqualified for the Senate,” Brooks tweeted. “Donald Trump is the only man in American politics who could get conned by Mitch McConnell twice in an Alabama Senate race.”
“Let’s just admit it: Trump endorses the wrong people sometimes,” he added. “He endorsed Mitt Romney, he endorsed John McCain and now he’s endorsed Katie Britt, who his own son, Don Jr. called ‘Alabama’s Liz Cheney.’”
“Alabama grassroots remember in 2017 when Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell got involved in a Senate primary in Alabama—and we rejected them,” he concluded. “The people of Alabama will decide.”