President Trump gave embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore a boost Friday, telling a campaign rally that he needed the Republican to help him build a border wall, get tough on crime and build up the military.
“The future of their country cannot afford to loose a seat in the very, very close U.S. Senate,” Mr. Trump told the rally in Pensacola, Florida, not far from the Alabama line.
“We need somebody in that senate seat who will vote for our ’Make America Great Again’ agency, which involves tough on crime, strong on border, strong on immigration,” he told the enthusiastic crowd.
Mr. Moore is in a tight race in Alabama’ special election Tuesday after several women accused the former judge of years ago pursuing romantic relationships with teenage girls when he was in his 30s.
Polls show Mr. Moore running neck and neck with Democrat Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney and political newcomer, in the deeply conservative state.
The rally in Pensacola, just an hour drive from Mobile, Alabama, and in the same media market, was as close as Mr. Trump could get to the Moore campaign without stemming in the Yellowhammer State.
Mr. Trump spent most of his speech touting his own accomplishments in office before plugging Mr. Moore.
But the president also relished news Friday that one of the accusers had forged part of an inscription on a high school yearbook that she had used to substantiate her claim that Mr. Moore pursued her.
“Did you see what happened today? You know the year book. There was a little mistake made,” he said to cheers.
The Alabama race has increased significance for Mr. Trump because he needs every Seante GOP vote he can get to pass a tax cut bill before the end of the year.
Mr. Trump also used the rally to gin up public support for the tax cut plan.
“You’re going to have jobs, jobs, jobs,” he said, touting the business tax cuts that he said will grow the economy and raise wages.
He cited a White House Council of Economic Advisors study that forecast the tax cuts would boost average household income by $4,000.
“The Democrats in Washington want to grow our welfare rolls,” said Mr. Trump. “I want to grow our employment rolls … We are going to lift our people fro welfare to work.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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