Donald Trump throws weight behind Roy Moore as he rounds on sanctuary cities and promises tough line on immigration
A defiant Donald Trump threw his weight behind Alabama's Republican Senate candidate, Roy Moore, as he appealed to his electoral base with a defence of traditional American values.
While many senior Republicans have disowned Mr Moore who has faced a series of allegations of sexual misconduct, the US president had no such qualms as he urged voters to vote for 70-year old Mr Moore.
Mr Trump's speech in Pensacola, in the neighbouring state of Florida, was not billed as a pro-Moore rally. But the US president did not hesitate in endorsing one of the most controversial Senate candidates in years.
"We need someone in that seat seat who will vote for our Make America great agenda," he said. "So get out and vote for Roy Moore, do it, do it, do it."
The endorsement of Mr Moore formed part of a speech in which the president rounded on his traditional targets illegal immigrants, sportsmen who refused to stand for the national anthem, sanctuary cities, "global bureaucrats" and the Democrats.
It was a speech big on patriotism and traditional values, much to the delight of his audience.
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"Americans don't worship government, we worship God," he said. "My job is not to be president of the world, my job is to be the president of the United States of America."
The president rounded on his political foes and the mainstream media, he who he accused of purveying "fake news".
Much of his speech was devoted to a raft of pledges to cut back on immigration, including limiting family-based admissions and scrapping the lottery system.
"We are not going to let people into our country who want to destroy our country," he said. "We are not going to listen to other countries telling us how we should run our immigration."
Rounding on Democrat-run sanctuary cities he attacked politicians who"would rather defend criminal aliens than American citizens."
Employers would be expected not only to buy American, but hire American, he added.
Mr Trump told a cheering audience that under his presidency the economy was booming, tax cuts were on the way and that he would leave office with the country's military stronger than it had ever been.
