ANNISTON, Ala. — Roy Moore vowed in an interview Sunday not to tone down his at-times provocative rhetoric, or shift his attention from politically charged social issues, to curry favor with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill if he wins a closely watched special electon for an Alabama Senate seat.
Moore, 70, the former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, is nationally recognized for his outspoken criticism of abortion rights, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. He said in remarks to the Washington Examiner after delivering a 35-minute sermon at Methodist church 70 miles east of Birmingham he wouldn’t moderate his behavior if defeats Sen. Luther Strange on Tuesday in a GOP primary runoff.
“I’ll bring the knowledge of God, and knowledge of the Constitution to Washington. That’s what I intend to do; that’s what I’ll do,” Moore said.
Yet Moore also downplayed his feud with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who he has regularly excoriated on the trail for the role the Kentucky Republican and allied organizations have played in spending millions of dollars to defeat him. Moore even appeared to defer to the GOP leadership when asked what his immediate priorities would be if he won outside of pushing for the social conservative issues he is so passionate about.
“If he’s within the Constitution and he’s conservative, I’ll vote conservatively. If it’s not I’ll disagree, like with anybody else,” Moore said. “The priorities shift back and forth up there; your priorities are to address the legislation before you in Congress. Right now it’s a health care bill, immigration — there’s other things. I don’t know what there will be before the [Senate] but that will be my priority, whatever’s there.”
President Trump has endorsed Strange. On Friday he was in Huntsville and put on one of signature rallies to turn out the vote for the incumbent. Vice President Mike Pence is headed to Birmingham, Strange’s political base, to do more of the same.
Alabama Republicans expect Trump’s intervention in the race to make a difference, the question is whether will push Strange over the top.
Moore, who has led in most public opinion polls and is a slight favorite in Tuesday’s election, sidestepped when asked about Trump’s decision to back his opponent, although his campaign has worked hard to minimize the differences between the two Republicans.
“I support the president, I don’t know what he’ll do in this election,” said Moore, who was joined by his wife, Kayla, and Mark Green, a Tennessee state senator and Trump ally.
Moore was removed from the state Supreme Court twice, the second time for declining to accept and enforce the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage.
Moore’s folksy, mostly apolitical sermon here Sunday evening before about 150 people was dominated with quotes from the Founders and various presidents, from Abraham Lincoln to Harry Truman. The judge also made clear his lament that religion and Judeo-Christian values have been devalued and pushed out of government and American society by the federal courts.
But Moore also mentioned his often-repeated criticisms of the liberalization and acceptance of social moors, and that is what has many Republicans in Congress worried. They worry about the platform Moore would gain with a Senate seat and that they would be forced to answer for his views in what could be a difficult midterm election cycle.
“Five lawyers on the Supreme Court did something completely outside the Constitution and tried to redefine marriage,” Moore said, adding: “If we can’t acknowledge God in this country, we can’t acknowledge this country. Because God is the foundation of this country. …It’s not a religious thing, it’s a legal thing.”
Correction: This story has been corrected because the original version referenced an email fundraising appeal to Roy Moore that did not come from his campaign.
