CLEVELAND — Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., will take the formal step of nominating Donald Trump to carry the Republican standard in the fall presidential election against Hillary Clinton.
“Sen. Sessions has been a key adviser to Mr. Trump and become a very close personal friend and adviser,” Trump senior adviser Paul Manafort told reporters at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday morning.
Sessions played a key role in Trump’s primary victory. As the Senate’s foremost immigration hawk and trade protectionist, and a regular working ally of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Sessions found himself surveying a GOP primary campaign in which the leading contenders were trumpeting his policy preferences. For awhile, he was content with that and rebuffed Trump and Cruz’s requests for an endorsement. Then, just before Super Tuesday, Sessions backed Trump, and helped thwart Cruz’s hope of winning the nomination by sweeping Alabama and other southern GOP primaries.
Trump’s nomination will be seconded by other political allies. “The seconding speeches will be given by Congressman Chris Collins, who was the first member of Congress to endorse Mr. Trump and is from New York State,” Manafort said. “And the second seconding speech will be given by Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster. He’s the lieutenant governor of South Carolina and an early supporter and somebody who was instrumental in Mr. Trump’s victory in South Carolina, which was an important part of his victory.”
