Roy Moore defeats Luther Strange, as Trump deletes pro-Strange tweets

Trump is trying to erase the fact he backed a loser in Luther Strange

By Jeremy Binckes

Published September 27, 2017 7:41AM (EDT)

Roy Moore (AP/Butch Dill)
Roy Moore (AP/Butch Dill)

On Tuesday night, former disgraced Alabama state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore beat Republican incumbent Luther Strange in a special election for the state's Senate seat left vacated by Jeff Sessions' appointment as attorney general. And with that result, President Donald Trump's chosen candidate was beaten by an even Trumpier candidate.

Faced with his first electoral defeat, the president tweeted out congratulations to Moore Wednesday morning. But before that, he scrubbed all of his tweets supporting Luther Strange.

According to ProPublica's Politwoops project — which documents deleted tweets by notable people — three tweets by the president were scrubbed on Tuesday night.

The first read: "Big election tomorrow in the Great State of Alabama. Vote for Senator Luther Strange, tough on crime & border — will never let you down."

The second: "Luther strange has been shooting up in Alabama polls since my endorsement. Finish the job — vote today for 'Big Luther.'"

And the third: "ALABAMA, get out and vote for Luther Strange — he has proven to me that he will never let you down! #MAGA"

As of Wednesday morning, there are still signs on the president's Twitter page that Trump has endorsed Strange. Tweets from August and some from Sept. 16 to Sept. 23 haven't been deleted. It's unclear whether or not the president will bother going that far back in his timeline — or if he'll wait for someone else to do it for him.

To political observers — especially Trump ones — it's not a surprise that Trump would want to erase one of his failures, according to Politico.

The race was Trump’s first congressional defeat. It left the president, who cares about winning and being associated with winners, frustrated and sometimes visibly annoyed, according to four White House officials and people familiar with the president’s thinking.

Meanwhile, Roy Moore, walking gaffe machine, will face Democratic candidate Doug Jones, a former U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the men who bombed a Birmingham church in 1963.

If the worst happens and Moore loses, it would certainly be a big blow against the president's persona.

"It's one thing to be an intimidating political leader," Republican strategist Rick Wilson told Salon in August. "It's another to deliver wins."


By Jeremy Binckes

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Alabama Donald Trump Jeff Sessions Luther Strange Republicans Roy Moore