Former U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks found himself revisiting one of the most politically damaging moments of his career Monday after President Donald Trump publicly revisited their split while standing beside U.S. Sen. Katie Britt in the Oval Office.
The remarks came during a White House signing ceremony promoting a new federal pro-life initiative designed to provide information and support for expecting and current mothers. But for Alabama political observers, the moment quickly became something else entirely: a reminder of how dramatically Republican politics in Alabama shifted during the 2022 Senate race.
“I got lucky, I was supporting somebody else and then I realized that somebody else wasn’t very good,” Trump said while praising Britt. “And I said, who’s that young woman I met that was so impressive? They say her name is Katie Britt. I said, let me talk to her. I talked to her, I endorsed her, she won a landslide.”
Though Trump never mentioned Brooks by name, the reference was unmistakable.
Brooks was Trump’s original choice in Alabama’s 2022 Republican Senate primary. At the time, Brooks appeared politically untouchable among many conservative voters, fueled largely by his close alliance with Trump and his outspoken support of efforts challenging the 2020 presidential election results.
But the relationship collapsed after Brooks urged Republicans during a rally in August 2021 to move beyond the 2020 election and focus on future contests. Trump responded angrily, eventually rescinding his endorsement and accusing Brooks of “woke” behavior and political weakness.
The reversal reshaped the race.
Trump later endorsed Britt, then the former head of the Business Council of Alabama, helping propel her to a decisive runoff victory before she went on to win the general election in landslide fashion.
Monday’s exchange in the Oval Office highlighted how fully that political transition has solidified.
At one point during the ceremony, Trump jokingly told Britt he hoped she would “always remain loyal” so he could continue supporting her.
“I would hate to go against her,” Trump said.
“That will never happen, Katie, right?” he asked.
“That’s right, sir,” Britt replied.
The exchange carried an unmistakable political subtext in a state where Trump’s endorsement remains one of the most powerful forces in Republican primary politics.
Now, as Brooks attempts a political comeback in Alabama House District 20, his opponents are using that history against him.
State Rep. James Lomax issued a campaign release Monday highlighting Trump’s remarks and framing them as a warning to Republican voters ahead of the May 19 primary.
“President Trump’s comments today are a powerful reminder for every Trump voter in House District 20,” Lomax said in the statement. “Mo Brooks had his chance, and even President Trump saw he was not up to the job.”
The race is becoming more than a local legislative contest.
In many ways, it is evolving into a referendum on whether Alabama Republican voters still see Brooks as a dominant conservative figure — or a politician whose influence never recovered after his public split with Trump.
For years, Brooks built his political identity around hardline conservatism and loyalty to Trump-era populism. But Monday’s Oval Office moment served as another reminder that in modern Alabama Republican politics, falling out of Trump’s favor can leave a political scar that never fully disappears.
The Republican primary for House District 20 is scheduled for May 19.
