Trump rescinds Brooks endorsement in Senate race in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday rescinded his endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks in Alabama's Republican primary for Senate, dealing a major blow to the congressman's campaign.

In a statement, Trump cited Brooks' languishing performance in the race and his attempt to move Republicans beyond Trump's false 2020 election fraud claims. The former president said he will make another endorsement in the “near future.”

“Very sad but, since he decided to go in another direction, so have I, and I am hereby withdrawing my Endorsement of Mo Brooks for the Senate," Trump said.

Brooks responded that he had not changed at all, and he accused Trump of dropping him for rebuffing the former president's entreaties — coming as recently as last week — to help overturn the 2020 election.

“He wanted the election rescinded and a do-over," Brooks told reporters in Alabama. “But there’s no legal way to do it.”

Trump has been frustrated for months as Brooks has failed to gain traction in the May 24 primary and has trailed in polling. By withdrawing the endorsement, Trump sought to stave off the embarrassment of backing a losing candidate in a high-profile race. Trump, who often brags about his endorsement record, sees it as a reflection of his power in the Republican Party as he mulls another presidential run in 2024.

Trump's picks have struggled in other races, too.

The Senate candidate he originally endorsed in Pennsylvania, Sean Parnell, dropped out amid allegations of abuse from his ex-wife. In North Carolina, Trump's Senate pick, Rep. Ted Budd, has failed to make a splash. In Georgia, former Sen. David Perdue is trailing Gov. Brian Kemp, one of Trump's top 2022 targets, in the gubernatorial primary campaign.

Trump first endorsed Brooks last April, more...