'Bizarre interaction' with Trump considered apology for betrayal: ex-GOP candidate

A former Republican congressman revealed how he received a near-apology from Donald Trump for possibly costing him and the Republican Party a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Mo Brooks published an op-ed Tuesday for AL.com describing how he overcame his distaste for Trump and his "character flaws," made plain in his "dishonest" personal attacks on Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his family during the 2016 campaign, to seek his endorsement in a special election the following year to fill the Senate vacated by Jeff Sessions to serve as attorney general.

"Many conservatives encouraged me to run for the Senate," Brooks wrote." I replied a race would not be productive unless President Trump stayed out of the Republican Primary. A few Congressmen who encouraged me to run and were friendly with Trump met with Trump to ascertain his Alabama Senate race druthers. These Congressmen told me Trump gave his word that he would not endorse anyone in the Republican Primary."

"With that green light, and relying on Trump’s word," Brooks wrote, "I ran for the Senate."

Brooks and his campaign felt good about their chances against right-wing former judge Roy Moore and incumbent Luther Strange, who had been appointed to finish Sessions' term — but then Trump reneged on his word and endorsed Strange.

"Our balloon popped, our narrow lead evaporated, and Strange made the run-off," Brooks wrote. "Strange then lost to Roy Moore, who lost to liberal Democrat Doug Jones (in large part because then-Senator Richard Shelby and now-Senator Katie Britt teamed up to actively help liberal Democrat Doug Jones win)."

A few weeks after Jones won the special election, Brooks and his wife were invited to the White House Christmas party, where the GOP congressman teased his wife about asking Trump for an apology when they met face-to-face in a reception line

"I decided to have some fun and rib my bride a little," he wrote. "So, as we waited in line, I kept wryly saying, 'I don’t know. Maybe now is the best time to ask President Trump! You never know if you will get another chance.' Each time Martha gave me her evil eye and said 'You better not!'"

When they reached the room where Trump and his wife Melania were posing for photos with guests, a Marine Corps officer instructed Brooks and his wife to "move along" quickly after their photo was snapped, but he was stunned when he approached the president.

"Instead of waiting for us to reach him, President Trump leaves Melania in his shadow, beelines past Martha like she’s not even there, grabs my right forearm with his left hand, and vigorously shakes my right hand as if we were long lost best buddies who hadn’t seen each other in years!" Brooks wrote.

"As President Trump maintains his two-handed grip, he loudly asks, 'Mo! Mo! What happened? You were our guy! You were our guy! We would have won that Senate seat if you were our nominee!! What happened?'" Brooks added.

Brooks considered reminding Trump of his betrayal but decided to heed his wife's pleas, so he instead blamed "that dad-gum Mitch McConnell" and he said the president enthusiastically agreed and kept pumping his hand until both couples posed alongside each other for a photo, and the Brookses were sent on their way and headed home bewildered by the encounter.

"I described to my fellow Congressmen and a White House staffer or two what happened and asked them what our bizarre interaction with the Trumps was all about," Brooks wrote. "They all said the same thing. That’s how President Donald Trump apologizes for his screw-ups, and that Martha and I should consider Trump’s conduct an 'apology' and move on from there."

"Donald Trump’s 'apology' was the most unusual I ever saw, but you take what you can get," he added. "So, we did."