By: Kevin Lee
Last Saturday morning, Jeff Sessions appeared at Robertsdale to reclaim his seat in the Senate in the race against Republican rival Tommy Tuberville, who has been supported constantly by President Trump. Tuesday’s runoff election will decide the lasting standoff of President Trump and Jeff Sessions.
Tommy Tuberville, even if officially endorsed by the President, isn’t on the same page as the President. In the early primary, Mr. Tuberville disagreed about how President Trump handled the immigration crisis, stating that migrants should be allowed a way to citizenship. However, Mr. Sessions, who avidly supports Mr. Trump despite a falling -out, accused him of supporting amnesty.
Although Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Tuberville for the Alabama election for the Senate, it was more because of Mr. Trump’s view of Mr. Sessions than because of Mr. Tuberville’s resume. Sessions recused himself during his inquiry on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Trump sees the action as a taint to his presidency.
The President also took notice of Tuberville’s criticism of the Jeff Sessions fallout, despite being warned by his aides to not endorse candidates from the beginning of the elections. Journalist Elaina Plott writes, “But Mr. Trump took notice of Mr. Tuberville’s hammering of Mr. Sessions – in one recent ad, the former coach says Mr. Sessions “quit on the president” and “failed Alabama” – and how Mr. Tuberville’s platform appeared to involve a little more than a promise to always support Trump.”
As of now, Tuberville is ahead of Sessions in the polls. Tuesday’s runoff will give a general idea to the public between Tuberville and Sessions who has won four Senate elections starting from 1997 to 2017.
Even though Tuberville is ahead of Sessions, many voters are still undecided due to the Russia investigation haunting Sessions’s record.
Sources:
(initial article)
(hyperlinked)
–https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/13/us/politics/sessions-tuberville.html