Trump makes direct appeal for Roy Moore with impassioned robo-call plea: 'We need that seat'

Marvin Gentry | Reuters. President Donald Trump made his most direct appeal to voters to date for the candidacy of embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.

President Donald Trump made his most direct appeal to voters to date for the candidacy of embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, telling Alabama voters to cast their ballots for the former judge and linking his agenda to the GOP's ability to hold that seat. In a robocall advertisement released by the Moore campaign, Trump issued a passionate call for voters to "get out and vote for Roy Moore. His vote is our Republican Senate and its needed."In recent days, Trump has slowly embraced the Alabama Republican in the wake of a blizzard of allegations of sexual improprieties.With polls showing a tight race between Moore and Democratic challenger Doug Jones, the president also suggested Moore's candidacy was necessary to pass Trump's agenda in the Senate, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority."I need Alabama to go vote for Roy Moore. It is so important. We're already making America great again," Trump's voice stated on the advertisement, as he attacked Moore's challenger as antithetical to GOP interests."I'm going to make America safer and stronger and better than ever before but we need that seat. We need Roy voting for us," Trump said, as he disparaged Jones as "a puppet of [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi and [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer. And he will vote with Washington liberals every single time."Insisting that Jones wanted higher taxes and was supportive of unrestricted immigration, Trump added that "Roy Moore is the guy we need to pass our Make America Great Again agenda."The special election for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions has figured prominently both in the national discussion about sexual harassment and assault and the battle over control of Congress next year.The abuse allegations against Moore and GOP Senate leaders' lack of support for him have given Democrats hope about winning the seat in Tuesday's election, despite Alabama's deeply Republican track record. As Trump made his pitch to Alabama voters, Sen. Richard Shelby — a senior figure in the state's politics and a respected Republican — said in a televised appearance that his state could "do better" than electing the former chief justice of Alabama's supreme court. Shelby told CNN that he had written in the name of another Republican on his absentee ballot, and that the list of accusations against Moore had reached a "tipping point."--CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this article. President Donald Trump made his most direct appeal to voters to date for the candidacy of embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, telling Alabama voters to cast their ballots for the former judge and linking his agenda to the GOP's ability to hold that seat. In a robocall advertisement released by the Moore campaign, Trump issued a passionate call for voters to "get out and vote for Roy Moore. His vote is our Republican Senate and its needed." In recent days, Trump has slowly embraced the Alabama Republican in the wake of a blizzard of allegations of sexual improprieties. With polls showing a tight race between Moore and Democratic challenger Doug Jones, the president also suggested Moore's candidacy was necessary to pass Trump's agenda in the Senate, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority. "I need Alabama to go vote for Roy Moore. It is so important. We're already making America great again," Trump's voice stated on the advertisement, as he attacked Moore's challenger as antithetical to GOP interests. "I'm going to make America safer and stronger and better than ever before but we need that seat. We need Roy voting for us," Trump said, as he disparaged Jones as "a puppet of [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi and [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer. And he will vote with Washington liberals every single time." Insisting that Jones wanted higher taxes and was supportive of unrestricted immigration, Trump added that "Roy Moore is the guy we need to pass our Make America Great Again agenda." The special election for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions has figured prominently both in the national discussion about sexual harassment and assault and the battle over control of Congress next year. The abuse allegations against Moore and GOP Senate leaders' lack of support for him have given Democrats hope about winning the seat in Tuesday's election, despite Alabama's deeply Republican track record. As Trump made his pitch to Alabama voters, Sen. Richard Shelby — a senior figure in the state's politics and a respected Republican — said in a televised appearance that his state could "do better" than electing the former chief justice of Alabama's supreme court. Shelby told CNN that he had written in the name of another Republican on his absentee ballot, and that the list of accusations against Moore had reached a "tipping point." --CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this article.

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