President Trump on Monday weighed in on the 2018 elections and offered a prediction for how he thought the Republican Party will fare.
The president said he knew Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, both Republicans, would lose their respective races.
“Remember, Republicans are 5-0 in Congressional Races this year. The media refuses to mention this. I said Gillespie and Moore would lose (for very different reasons), and they did,” Trump tweeted. “I also predicted “I” would win. Republicans will do well in 2018, very well!”
Remember, Republicans are 5-0 in Congressional Races this year. The media refuses to mention this. I said Gillespie and Moore would lose (for very different reasons), and they did. I also predicted “I” would win. Republicans will do well in 2018, very well! @foxandfriends
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
Trump only got behind Moore at the last minute, initially endorsing Republican Luther Strange in the GOP primary. This is not the first time he said he knew Moore would lose.
Last week Trump tweeted, "The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!"
The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2017
Moore's defeat is a major blow to the party, which now only has a razor-thin majority in the upper chamber. Alabama voters haven’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1992, but the sexual misconduct allegations surrounding Moore as well as being too extreme on many issues may have been too much for the electorate, as Guy explained in his post-race analysis.
Moore, however, has yet to concede the race. He lost to Democrat Doug Jones 49.9 percent to 48.4, but argues that he’s waiting for the Alabama secretary of state to certify the results of the election because military and provisional ballots have not all been received.
As for Gillespie, Trump distanced himself from the Republican after his loss, noting on Twitter that he “worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for.” But his support of Gillespie was tepid at best, writing a few tweets in favor of the former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a recording a last-minute robocall.
In Monday’s tweet discussing the 5-0 Republican wins in the House of Representatives, Trump seems to have forgotten about Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who won a seat in California’s special election for the 34th District, which was vacated by Xavier Becerra when he became the state’s attorney general.