WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump on Wednesday sought to distance himself from the apparent loser in the Alabama special Senate race, Roy Moore, tweeting that he "was right" that the former judge would be unable to win a general election.
Though Moore is refusing to concede the race, it appears Democrat Doug Jones will be the next junior senator from Alabama. And, according to the president, he suspected that would happen all along _ even though he got personally involved in the race on Moore's behalf in recent weeks.
Trump tweeted that he endorsed outgoing Sen. Luther Strange over Moore in the state's GOP primary because he determined Moore "will not be able to win the General Election."
"I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!" Trump tweeted.
The president often uses his Twitter account to put a positive coat of paint on things that could be viewed as negative for him. The Alabama special Senate contest is just the latest example, with Trump not only contending he saw Jones' victory coming, but also taking credit one last time for Strange's late _ though unsuccessful _ surge in the polls.
Trump wrote that Strange's "numbers went up mightily" after he endorsed Strange and went to the Yellowhammer State to campaign alongside him.
The Wednesday morning tweet was more within Trump's unique style than one his account posted late Tuesday night, which stated: "Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory."
In that tweet, the president blamed Moore's loss, in part, on write-in votes that likely went to other Republicans.
