Rep. Mo Brooks, the Alabama Republican, spoke at the pro-Trump rally that proceeded the Capitol riot, telling the crowd to “start taking down names and kicking ass.” He was the first congressman to indicate that he’d vote against certifying the 2020 presidential election. Stephen Miller, the influential Trump aide, once said “Nobody over the last four years has had President Trump’s back more than Mo Brooks.”
And yet, none of that was enough to earn Trump’s enduring support. On Wednesday, Trump rescinded his endorsement of Brooks’ senatorial bid, saying the 67-year-old Freedom Caucus member had gone “woke.”
Yes, seriously.
What was Brooks’ cardinal sin? At a recent rally, he told the crowd, “There are some people who are despondent about the voter fraud and election theft in 2020. Folks, put that behind you, put that behind you.”
The crowd booed. Apparently, Trump was also booing in Mar-a-Lago.
“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 in a statement.
“Mo Brooks of Alabama made a horrible mistake recently when he went “woke,” Trump’s statement continued. “Mo’s 44-point lead totally evaporated all based on his “2020″ statement made at our massive rally in Cullman, Alabama.”
“When I heard his statement, I said, “Mo, you just blew the Election, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 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. I don’t think the great people of Alabama will disagree with me.”
ABC News provides key context:
Trump has been frustrated for months by Brooks’ performance as he has failed to gain traction in the race. By dropping the endorsement, the former president is trying to stave off the embarrassment of backing a losing candidate in a high-profile race. Trump, who often brags about his endorsement record, takes his tally seriously, seeing it as a reflection of his power as he mulls another presidential run.
It’s not the only race in which Trump’s pick has been struggling. The candidate he originally endorsed in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, Sean Parnell, dropped out amid allegations of abuse from his ex-wife. In North Carolina, his endorsed candidate for an open Senate seat, Rep. Ted Budd, has failed to make a splash. And in Georgia, his pick for governor, David Perdue, is trailing incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, one of his top 2022 targets.
CNN reports that Trump is looking for a new candidate to back in Alabama, which will have an open Senate seat when Sen. Richard Shelby retires at the end of the term:
Trump, who vowed to throw his weight behind a different candidate in the “near future,” met with Army veteran Mike Durant at Mar-a-Lago on Monday to discuss the race and get a better feel for the candidate, according to a person familiar with the meeting. He had previously told aides he is skeptical of Durant, who received a major boost in the race in the form of spending by More Perfect Union, an outside group that has committed to supporting moderate candidates in red and blue races.
Trump also met with former Alabama Business Council president Katie Britt earlier this year amid his frustrations over Brooks’ lackluster performance. As CNN has previously reported, Trump has told allies he’s impressed with Britt’s fundraising and has taken a liking to her husband, Wesley Britt, who played for the New England Patriots.
