“Mo Brooks of Alabama made a terrible mistake recently when he” woke up “and stated, referring to the 2020 presidential fraud:” Put it behind you, put it behind you, “Trump said in a statement Wednesday.
Trump’s astonishing decision to secede from a candidate who became the first Republican congressman to vote against certification of the 2020 election result on January 6, 2021, comes amid several dismissive comments Brooks recently made about the election. Brooks was hailed at a demonstration in August last year when he told the audience that they should look beyond the last presidential contest. And for the past two weeks, he has publicly accused Trump of asking him to break the law by exploring ways to reinstate him as commander-in-chief.
“President Trump asked me to cancel the 2020 election, immediately remove Joe Biden from the White House, immediately put President Trump back in the White House and hold a new special election for the presidency. As a lawyer, I have repeatedly advised the President. Trump, “January 6 was the final verdict of the election campaign, and neither the U.S. Constitution nor the U.S. Code allow what President Trump is asking for. Dot,” Brooks continued.
In his response to Trump’s reversal, Brooks accused Trump of letting “Mitch McConnell manipulate him,” claiming that the Senate Minority Leader and his allies have been plotting against him since the beginning of his campaign.
“Every single negative TV commercial against our campaign has come from McConnell and his allies. I wish President Trump would not fall for McConnell’s tricks, but he has that once again,” Brooks said.
To further defend himself after Trump claimed he had been “awake” in the 2020 election, Brooks trumpeted himself as “the only proven America First candidate” in the race to retire Senator Richard Shelby’s seat and “the the only candidate who fought election fraud and electoral theft when it spoke, between November 3 and January 6. “
Although Trump has promised to issue another approval before the May 24 primary, Brooks does not seem inclined to leave the race. A source close to the congressman said he will stay despite Trump’s decision.
“There’s only one Conservative option in this race, and I’m convinced the people of Alabama will see it on Election Day,” he said.
The group Club for Growth PAC, a major ally of Brooks, also refused to join Trump to withdraw his support. In his own statement, the group’s president David McIntosh said Brooks “is the only principled, pro-growth conservative in the race.”
Trump met with military veteran Mike Durant in 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 that he is skeptical of Durant, who received a major boost in the race in the form of spending from More Perfect Union, an external group 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’ poor performance. As CNN has previously reported, Trump has told allies that he is impressed with Britt’s fundraising and has welcomed her husband, Wesley Britt, who played for the New England Patriots.
Britt served as chief of staff for the retired Shelby.
CNN’s David Wright and Alex Rogers contributed to this story.