President Donald Trump endorsed former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rival Wednesday as the Republican nominee in the Alabama U.S. Senate race.
President Donald Trump sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Dec. 15, 2017 in Quantico, Virginia, before participating in the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony. (Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Trump tweeted his praise of GOP candidate Tommy Tuberville, who “is running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Alabama.”
The president continued, “Tommy was a terrific head football coach at Auburn University. He is a REAL LEADER who will ever let MAGA/KAG, or our Country, down! Tommy will protect your Second Amendment….”
Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) is running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Alabama. Tommy was a terrific head football coach at Auburn University. He is a REAL LEADER who will never let MAGA/KAG, or our Country, down! Tommy will protect your Second Amendment….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 11, 2020
Trump’s snub of Sessions, whom the president fired as his attorney general, is not entirely unexpected as Trump has been critical of Sessions in the race. Sessions previously served as a senator from Alabama and has actively sought Trump’s endorsement since announcing his candidacy. (RELATED: Trump Says The Biggest Mistake Of His Presidency Was Hiring Jeff Sessions)
The president was extremely candid in his criticism of Sessions even while he was serving in Trump’s cabinet. His animosity towards Sessions dates back to the then-attorney general recusing himself from any investigation into alleged Russia collusion with the Trump campaign. Sessions’ deputy then appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to begin a year-long assessment of whether Trump colluded with the Russians during the 2016 election campaign. (RELATED: Trump Goes After Sessions Over Disappointing Primary Performance)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the U.S. attorney general January 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Although Trump is not forgiving Sessions, the candidate for Senate recently endorsed Trump in a television ad.
“When I left President Trump’s cabinet, did I write a tell-all book? No,” Sessions says in the ad.
“Did I go on CNN and attack the president? Nope.”