Alabama Democrat Doug Jones’ shocking win in the Senate race Tuesday means President Donald Trump is 0 for 2 in the traditionally deep-red state.
Yes, Trump endorsed not one but two Republican candidates who ultimately lost their races.
Trump’s first loss came with Luther Strange, the former Alabama attorney general who was appointed to take Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat when Sessions became the U.S. attorney general. Trump backed Strange in the Republican primary race for Senate, though he later expressed some regrets about that decision.
“I’ll be honest, I might have made a mistake,” Trump said at a September rally in Alabama. “If his opponent wins, I’m going to be here campaigning like hell for him.”
Trump kept his word and endorsed the eventual Republican Senate candidate, Roy Moore, even as multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and child molestation plagued Moore’s campaign.
Trump reiterated his support for Moore as voters took to the polls Tuesday morning.
Trump congratulated Jones shortly after the race was called Tuesday night.
The results of Tuesday’s election were quite a contrast to the presidential election just a year before, when Trump easily defeated his Democratic opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Alabama.
Trump’s losing record for endorsements isn’t limited to Alabama. In the Virginia governor’s race, Trump endorsed Republican Ed Gillespie, who lost to Democrat Ralph Northam. Trump was quick to criticize Gillespie after his loss.
“Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for,” Trump tweeted.
Trump’s record isn’t all losses. He supported Republican Karen Handel in the Georgia special congressional election earlier this year. She went on to defeat Democrat Jon Ossoff.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified Jon Ossoff’s political affiliation. He is a Democrat.