As many of people around the country celebrated Doug Jones’ stunning defeat of Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race, President Donald Trump offered up his begrudging congratulations to the Democratic winner.
“Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory,” Trump tweeted Tuesday night. “The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time.
“It never ends!” he promised.
Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2017
Trump had steadfastly endorsed Moore despite a litany of sexual misconduct accusations against him, including from a number of women who were teenagers at the time.
Tuesday’s surprise polling result marked the first Democratic Senate victory in a quarter-century in Alabama, which is known to be one of America’s reddest states.
“We have shown not just around the state of Alabama, but we have shown the country the way — that we can be unified,” Jones told his supporters in a Birmingham ballroom after the result was announced, according to the Associated Press. “This entire race has been about dignity and respect.”
He will now take over the seat previously held by Jeff Sessions, who stepped down earlier this year after he was appointed as Trump’s attorney general.
Jones’ prior accolades include prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing.