{"id":92234,"date":"2017-09-22T05:31:10","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T05:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/republicans-spar-in-alabama-senate-debate-over-trumps-endorsement-of-incumbent.html"},"modified":"2017-09-22T05:31:10","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T05:31:10","slug":"republicans-spar-in-alabama-senate-debate-over-trumps-endorsement-of-incumbent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/political\/republicans-spar-in-alabama-senate-debate-over-trumps-endorsement-of-incumbent.html","title":{"rendered":"Republicans spar in Alabama Senate debate over Trump\u2019s endorsement of incumbent"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t
\n\t \"Web<\/a><\/p>\n

GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore holds post-debate rally<\/a><\/h4>\n

Web exclusive: Peter Doocy reports from Montgomery, Alabama<\/p>\n

The two Republicans competing in Alabama\u2019s upcoming Senate runoff sparred over President Trump\u2019s endorsement in the race of the establishment-favored incumbent over the Christian-conservative outsider, one night before the president’s planned visit to the state.<\/p>\n

During a televised debate in Montgomery on Thursday evening, appointed incumbent Sen. Luther Strange repeatedly boasted that the president, who is traveling to Alabama on Friday to boost support for his campaign, endorsed him over his opponent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you may get tired of hearing this — and you may resent that the president is my friend and is supporting me in this race — but I think it\u2019s a good thing that the president of the United States has a personal relationship with the junior senator from Alabama,\u201d Strange told his rival, former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"FILE<\/p>\n

Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks to supporters in Montgomery, Ala. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0(AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson)<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite Trump\u2019s endorsement, some of the president\u2019s usual allies, including former senior adviser Steve Bannon, are supporting Moore. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin headlined a post-debate rally for Moore after the debate.<\/p>\n

Moore has been polling ahead of Strange, who is favored by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. The runoff takes place Tuesday.<\/p>\n

During Thursday\u2019s debate, Moore questioned Trump\u2019s endorsement of Strange and mocked his opponent for continuously bringing up the endorsement throughout the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell you what the president thinks,\u201d Moore said. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you every move he makes, when he goes to the bathroom, when he doesn\u2019t \u2013 like my opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Former\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, left, listens to Sen. Luther Strange, right, during a debate on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0(AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson)<\/span><\/p>\n

Moore and Strange finished atop a crowded field in the initial August vote for the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.<\/p>\n

Moore, the \u201cTen Commandments judge\u201d beloved by his Christian conservative supporters, is famous for having been removed twice from his position on Alabama\u2019s Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

ROY MOORE CONSOLIDATING ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT SUPPORT IN ALABAMA SENATE RACE<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

On Thursday, Moore said he wanted to see \u201cvirtue and morality returned to our country\u201d as he railed against \u201ctransgender troops in our bathrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur foundation has been shaken. Crime, corruption, immorality, abortion, sodomy, sexual perversion sweep our land,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we become one nation under God again, when liberty and justice for all reigns across our land, we will be truly good again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strange, the former attorney general in Alabama, was temporarily appointed to the seat in April after Sessions joined the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Sen.<\/p>\n

Sen. Luther Strange debates against U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, Sept. 21, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0(AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson)<\/span><\/p>\n

Moore hit Strange, a former state attorney general, for his past career as a lobbyist. He also questioned the circumstances of Strange\u2019s appointment, pointing out how Strange\u2019s office was investigating former Gov. Robert Bentley before the governor made him senator. Bentley resigned from office earlier this year in scandal.<\/p>\n

Moore said Trump was right to campaign against lobbyists during the presidential race, so it didn\u2019t make sense that he\u2019d back Strange.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t get rid of lobbyists in the swamp by sending them to the United States Senate,\u201d Moore said. \u201cThis is pure hypocrisy in this race.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both candidates agreed to debate Thursday without a moderator or questions. Only a time-keeper was allowed.<\/p>\n

TRUMP TWEETS SUPPORT FOR ‘BIG’ LUTHER STRANGE IN ALABAMA SENATE RUNOFF<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

For his part, Strange used every opportunity during the debate to discuss his relationship with Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president supports me,\u201d Strange said. \u201cIf you have not followed the president on Twitter, I urge you to do so. He just tweeted a great tweet out about his enthusiastic support for me and my campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent days, the president has previewed his visit to Huntsville on Friday for Strange.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking forward to Friday night in the Great State of Alabama. I am supporting \u2018Big\u2019 Luther Strange because he was so loyal helpful to me!\u201d Trump tweeted this week.<\/p>\n

The winner of the GOP runoff will face Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney under the Clinton administration who was endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden has announced plans to campaign for Jones in Alabama in October.<\/p>\n

Alabama hasn\u2019t elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than 20 years.<\/p>\n

Article source: http:\/\/feeds.foxnews.com\/~r\/foxnews\/politics\/~3\/mYM5MinWoAc\/republicans-spar-in-alabama-senate-debate-over-trump-s-endorsement-incumbent.html<\/a>\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore holds post-debate rally Web exclusive: Peter Doocy reports from Montgomery, Alabama The two Republicans competing in Alabama\u2019s upcoming Senate runoff sparred over President Trump\u2019s endorsement in the race of the establishment-favored incumbent over the Christian-conservative outsider, one night before the president’s planned visit to the state. During a televised debate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-92234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-political","tag-political"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92234\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}