In a surprise announcement Friday night, Donald Trump issued a strong endorsement to front-running U.S. Senate hopeful Katie Britt of Alabama in her runoff contest June 21st with fellow Republican and former Trump friend Rep. Mo Brooks.
Most Republican observers in the Yellowhammer State quickly concluded that Trump’s blessing of Britt — who won 46% in the GOP primary earlier this month — almost certainly guarantees her nomination for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby.
Hailing Britt as a "fearless America First Warrior," Trump praised her background as CEO of Alabama’s Business Council and even hailed her "great husband Wesley" (who played football at the University of Alabama and for the New England Patriots).
But Trump also laid the lash of his words on Brooks, a six-term congressman, whom he had initially endorsed for the Senate nomination and then unendorsed shortly before the primary.
"Mo backtracked and made a big mistake by going Woke at our massive Cullman, Alabama Rally," read Trump's statement endorsing Britt. "Instead of denouncing the voter fraud (in the 2020 election), Mo lectured the crowd of 63,000 people saying, 'Put that behind you, put that behind you," — meaning that, in effect, forget the Rigged Election (2020) and go on to the future."
Trump's problem with that, he said, is "if you do that, it will happen again. ... Mo was strongly booed by tens of thousands of Great Alabama Patriots for abandoning his constituents, and what they know to be true about the Election Fraud. He foolishly started listening to the wrong consultants and not to the people, and his 54-point lead (in the primary) evaporated overnight. Likewise, his words caused me to withdraw my endorsement, and Mo has been wanting it back ever since — but I cannot give it to him!"
Britt, 46, carried 62 of 65 counties in Alabama in the primary. Brooks, who came in second with 29%, was considered to be in an uphill climb to catch up with Britt. With Trump making his surprise decision Friday, Brooks is now likely to face difficulty raising funds for the runoff that is 10 days away.
This latest development came on the heels of third place primary finisher (23%) and "Black Hawk Down" hero Mike Durant failing to endorse Brooks in the runoff and instead declaring he would vote for neither Brooks nor Britt.
Alabama has had two women senators — Democrats Dixie Bibb Graves (1937-1938) and Maryon Allen (1977-1978) — but both were appointed to fill vacancies for brief periods. If triumphant, Britt would be the first woman elected to the Senate from Alabama.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.