As campaign ads sweep across screens in the home stretch of a bloody primary election contest between two sitting Alabama congressmen, Rep. Jerry Carl is calling for his opponent Rep. Barry Moore to “denounce the misleading television ads” being pushed by a group that Moore claimed he rejected support from in the 2024 cycle.
In November, Rep. Moore’s (R-Enterprise) campaign released a statement saying, “Club for Growth’s antagonism towards President Trump led Congressman Moore to decline their endorsement or support for this election.”
According to receipts, Club for Growth’s School Freedom Fund purchased $581,036 in paid television advertising across 1st Congressional District media markets, including Mobile and the Wiregrass, which now share a common constituency after federally-imposed redistricting.
On Thursday, Rep. Carl (R-Mobile) said Club for Growth is a “DC-based original Never Trumper group” that has made extreme investments into attacking former president Donald Trump.
“When it was politically convenient for him, Barry said he wouldn’t accept help from these original Never Trumpers, but now that his campaign is struggling and cash-strapped, he has gone back on his word and accepted their help just like a typical Washington politician,” Carl said.
“Barry Moore has a history of voting against Trump’s agenda and being propped up by Washington, D.C., groups that have spent millions of dollars opposing Donald Trump since 2016. Not only did Barry Moore fail to show up and vote for Donald Trump in 2016, but he has opposed funding for Trump’s border wall every step of the way.”
“Barry should denounce their lying ads, be true to his word and refuse their help, and stop opposing the Trump agenda,” Carl added.
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Club for Growth worked and spent against Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primary before aligning with him in the general election, during his administration, and the 2022 midterms. In 2024, the group reignited its war on Trump. However, according to a report from Politico, Trump and Club for Growth are making peace.
“Tensions had been especially high between the two sides over the past year, when a Club for Growth-affiliated outside group waged an unsuccessful multi-million-dollar TV ad campaign aimed at sinking Trump in early primary states. The Club-linked group halted its anti-Trump effort last August, after it became clear it wasn’t working,” Politico reported.
“After the Club for Growth launched its anti-Trump affiliate in July 2023, Trump blasted the group, calling it the ‘Club for No Growth.’”
Coastal150, a Mobile-based group of community, government and business leaders throughout the Gulf Coast announced their support for Carl this week as a “crucial step” in capitalizing on the region’s influence in Washington. They piled on Moore’s Club for Growth backing with an emphasis on local issues.
Club for Growth is Anti coastal Alabama…Anti Farm Bill, Anti Flood Insurance, Anti FEMA assistance following Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, Anti National Defense spending Wouldn't that make Barry Moore Anti Coastal Alabama too? https://t.co/HJd9qlXDee
— Coastal 150 (@Coastal150) February 22, 2024
In response, a campaign spokesperson for Moore said, “Barry and all other fiscal conservatives are very glad that Club for Growth is with President Trump “100%” according to a speech Trump gave in South Carolina recently.”
“If Jerry wants to refute the content of any ads, he can do the same thing Barry has done about the lying ads that Jerry and the DC Swamp-funded PACs are running against Barry – Jerry should articulate why they’re inaccurate and then continue to run on his record, which includes sending tax dollars to Ukraine, reauthorizing FISA, supporting federal vaccine databases, voting yes on the Fiscal Responsibility Act and keeping Biden’s army of 87,000 IRS agents, and not getting a single bill out of committee.”
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
