President Donald Trump will hold a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Florida, next Friday — just 25 miles from the Alabama border and days before the Alabama special election for US Senate.
The move comes amid controversy surrounding the Republican candidate, Roy Moore, who has been accused by several women of pursuing inappropriate sexual relationships with them when they were between 14 and 19 and he was in his early 30s.
Trump has not publicly condemned Moore, as many of his Republican colleagues in Washington have, but instead has kept criticizing Democratic Alabama Senate candidate Doug Jones.
When asked about the race last week, Trump continued to point out that Moore had denied the allegations.
“He denies it. Look, he denies it,” Trump said last week. “If you look at all the things that have happened over the last 48 hours. He totally denies it. He says it didn’t happen. And you know, you have to listen to him also.”
The White House has said the President will not go to Alabama before the election. But the rally in Pensacola, while not officially on Moore’s behalf, will take places in the Mobile, Alabama, television market just four days before the December 12 election.
Hannah Ford, Moore’s deputy campaign manager, told CNN that they will actively encourage the candidate’s supporters to attend Trump’s rally.