President Donald Trump warned Wednesday the “consequences will be devastating” for his party and policies if Alabama Republican Roy Moore seeks a U.S. Senate seat again in 2020 after his last campaign was battered by the mainstream media.
Moore lost in the once-reliably red state in a 2017 special election amid unproven sexual misconduct allegations, which he has venomously denied. He told The Associated Press earlier this month that he is considering another campaign next year.
Trump, who backed Moore in 2017 despite the allegations, tweeted that he had nothing against Moore — and, in fact, he liked the Alabama Republican — but that the seat was too important for Republicans to risk another loss.
…If Alabama does not elect a Republican to the Senate in 2020, many of the incredible gains that we have made during my Presidency may be lost, including our Pro-Life victories. Roy Moore cannot win, and the consequences will be devastating….Judges and Supreme Court Justices!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2019
Moore’s nomination could have national repercussions, political experts say.
Democrats could use Moore’s scandals against Trump and other Republicans in swing states. Moore says he expects to announce a decision in mid-June.
Republicans control the U.S. Senate 53-47 and view defeating Jones as a top priority. Jones, 65, is considered the most endangered Democratic incumbent facing re-election in 2020, a year when several GOP senators are vulnerable and control of the chamber will be at stake.
Jones defeated Moore in 2017 by 22,000 votes out of 1.3 million cast in a special election to fill the seat previously held by Jeff Sessions, who became Trump’s attorney general.
Moore said earlier this month that he is “seriously considering” a rematch against Jones and would likely announce a decision in mid-June.
“2020 could be a touchpoint in our nation, not only for the presidency but for the House and Congress and so forth,” Moore told the AP.
The Associated Press contributed to this article