By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters] -Executive President Donald Trump withdrew Wednesday’s endorsement of Mo Brooks, U.S. Senate Republican candidate. It was a severe blow to one his most loyal allies in Congress.

Brooks was a House member who told voters in Alabama it was time for them to get over Trump’s 2020 claim that it had been stolen.

Brooks’ campaign is not currently available for comment.

Trump warned him that he would shift his support towards another Republican candidate in Alabama’s May 24, Senate primary. On Wednesday, Trump did not endorse any other candidates but said he will do so “in near future”.

“Mo Brooks of Alabama made a horrible mistake recently when he went ‘woke’ and stated, referring to the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, ‘Put that behind you, put that behind you,’”

Trump made the statement in a statement.

“Very sad, but he chose to go in a different direction than I did, and so I have withheld my endorsement.”

Trump’s decision came two days after Brooks made the pledge of his loyalty to him in his ongoing war of words against Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell. McConnell was a frequent target for Trump’s invective.

Brooks is in an intense three-way race for the Senate Republican Richard Shelby’s replacement. Brooks is competing against Katie Britt (a former Shelby aide) and Michael Durant (a businessman who was a former Army helicopter pilot).

Brooks, who was an early front-runner in Trump’s election last year after he received Trump’s endorsement for his candidacy, has fallen in polls and trailed his competitors in fundraising.