Alabama Republican Representative Mo Brooks was the first GOP Congressman to announce his intent to object to the results of the 2020 election. On January 6, 2021, it was Brooks who declared, “Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.” Hours later, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
But this morning, defeated former President Trump rescinded his endorsement of Brooks' bid for the Alabama GOP Senate bid to replace the retiring Richard Shelby. Trump accused Brooks of being "woke" for having the temerity to tell Trump supporters to put the 2020 election behind them during a rally in Cullman, Alabama last August. Brooks was booed for the suggestion and this soured Trump on Brooks.
A normal person would man up and tell Trump to shove it. But this a Republican we're talking about. Brooks wants Trump's endorsement back. So instead of ripping Trump, he rips Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Not that I give a damn about McConnell, but Brooks should have some pride.
Yet Brooks seems destined to follow into the footsteps of another former Alabama Republican Senator - Jeff Sessions. It was Sessions who was the first Republican Senator to endorse Trump for the White House during the 2016 GOP Primary. Trump rewarded Sessions by naming him Attorney General. But when Sessions recused himself from the Russia Inquiry regarding the 2016 election making way for the Mueller Investigation five years ago this month, he immediately fell out of Trump's favor. Trump then repeatedly insulted Sessions both privately and publicly. In September 2018, Trump said of Sessions, "I don't have an Attorney General."
Sessions would resign less than two months later. When Sessions attempted to regain his old Senate seat, Trump would endorse Tommy Tuberville. This didn't stop Sessions from donning the MAGA cap and reminding voters he was the first Senator to endorse Trump.
Jeff Sessions can say he was the first Republican Senator to endorse Trump in 2016 and Mo Brooks can say he was the first Republican to proclaim the 2020 election shouldn't be certified all they want.
None of that matters.
All that matters for Trump is being loyalty every day, every time without deviation. Sessions' recusal and Brooks' suggestion that voters move on from 2020 were deemed acts of disloyalty in Trump's eyes. What had they done for him lately? Trump supporting Republicans kicked Sessions to the curb in 2020 and will very likely do the same to Brooks during the GOP primary in May.
Now I don't feel sorry for either Brooks or Sessions. They jumped into bed with Trump. He rolled over on them and instead of being angry they want more even though he has nothing more to give them. Instead of ridding themselves of this albatross, Republicans who want to stay in office must indulge his election fraud fantasies and sing the praises of Vladimir Putin.
The scary thing, of course, is that millions of Americans want Trump back in the White House despite everything he has said and done. In which case, Americans might be a lot more like Mo Brooks and Jeff Sessions than we want to admit.
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