Donald Trump recorded a campaign robocall supporting GOP Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore that will be dialed into homes on Monday, the day before the special election.
Fox News aired audio of the call on Sunday.
“Hi, this is President Donald Trump and I need Alabama to go vote for Roy Moore,” Trump said in the recording. “We’re already making America great again. I’m going to make America safer and stronger and better than ever before. We need that seat. We need Roy voting for us.”
Politico initially reported Trump had taped the call on Saturday, which was confirmed by deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah. The special election is being held for the seat Republican Jeff Sessions gave up to serve as Trump’s attorney general.
Despite several accusations of sexual misconduct against Moore, Trump came out fully in support of the candidate last Monday, tweeting: “We need his vote” in the Senate. In the most damning accusation against Moore, Leigh Corfman told The Washington Post that Moore, who was in his 30s at the time, removed her clothing and groped her when she was just 14 years old. Moore has denied all the accusations.
Trump hasn’t yet hit the streets in Alabama to campaign for Moore. But he urged people to get out and vote for Moore at a rally Friday in Pensacola, Florida, which is close to the Alabama border. The progressive organization American Bridge 21st Century parked a truck outside the rally sporting a large ad quoting daughter Ivanka Trump’s take on Moore: “There’s a special place in hell for those who prey on children.”
Despite Trump’s support for Moore, several Republicans have called for him to drop out of the race because of the accusations against him. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) reiterated Thursday that he believes Moore should have stepped aside. “I think he should have dropped out,” Ryan told reporters. “I stand by what I said before.”
Trump also recorded a robocall for Republican Ed Gillespie in the Virginia gubernatorial race last month. Gillespie lost.
This story has been updated with audio of Trump’s robocall. Igor Bobic contributed reporting.