While North Korea proliferates, Charlottesville explodes, and Congress implodes, President Trump has been busy working the phones for incumbent Republican Sen. Luther Strange in Alabama’s special Senate election.
After giving his endorsement on Twitter, Trump recorded a minute long robocall Monday, telling voters that “it is so important” that they vote for Strange in the primary.
“Hi, this is President Donald Trump, and I love the people of Alabama and I hope you go out and vote for Luther Strange for Senate,” Trump says in the recorded call.
“We’ve fulfilled so many of our promises. Everything that we’ve wanted to do, we’re doing,” Trump continues. “Unemployment is at a record low, jobs are flowing back into the country, we have a great Supreme Court judge in Justice [Neil] Gorsuch. We are doing things that a lot of people said are impossible, but I need Luther to help us out. So tomorrow go to the polls.”
That’s a powerful last minute push in a state Trump won by 29 points, but it won’t be enough to ensure victory. Minus a miracle, the best Strange can do is place second, a result with which he would be quite pleased. If the incumbent can squeak out a second-place finish against conservative Rep. Mo Brooks, he will force a September run-off against the frontrunner, Judge Roy Moore.
Ahead in most polls now, it’s not clear whether Moore could hold out against a second effort from Strange. The incumbent has the full support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his deep-pocketed Senate Leadership Fund. With Trump’s support, Strange is assumed to be the heavy favorite in the run-off. If he wins later in September, his victory might score as one of Trump’s few achievements.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
