President Donald Trump isn’t campaigning for Roy Moore in Alabama — but he’s holding a campaign-style rally just 25 miles from the state line ahead of Tuesday’s special election.
And Alabama voters are his most important audience.
Trump is in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday night — a Florida panhandle city in the Mobile, Alabama, media market and an easy drive for voters in a crucial portion of the state.
The rally comes after Trump spent part of the week touting Moore on Twitter, despite the accusations that the 70-year-old, twice-ousted former state Supreme Court chief justice had pursued sexual relationships with teenage girls while in his 30s.
The President has cast Democratic candidate Doug Jones as too liberal for Alabama, and warned that Republicans can’t afford to lose a vote in the Senate, where they hold a 52-48 majority.
“LAST thing the Make America Great Again Agenda needs is a Liberal Democrat in Senate where we have so little margin for victory already. The Pelosi/Schumer Puppet Jones would vote against us 100% of the time. He’s bad on Crime, Life, Border, Vets, Guns & Military. VOTE ROY MOORE!” Trump tweeted Friday.
He has a history of raucous, news-making Friday night rallies. This summer in Arizona, he tore into both of the state’s senators, Republicans Jeff Flake and John McCain. Trump even huddled with key allies during the trip to try to recruit a primary challenger for Flake, who ultimately decided to retire rather than face daunting re-election prospects.
The President is also expected to tout his own accomplishments at the rally.
“Big crowd expected today in Pensacola, Florida, for a Make America Great Again speech. We have done so much in so short a period of time … and yet are planning to do so much more! See you there!” Trump tweeted.