Donald Trump shocked the world last night by defeating Hillary Clinton to become President-Elect of the United States, stealing back 6 former blue states to boot. Along the way, he won Alabama by 27 points and collected over 1.2 million votes in the Yellowhammer State.
But one Trump supporter really won “bigly” last night: Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.
Sessions has been with Trump almost since the beginning. At a massive rally in Madison leading up to the SEC primary in March, Sessions endorsed Trump, donned a “Make America Great Again” hat, and became the conductor of the Trump Train.
At that rally, Sessions highlighted Trump’s anti-establishment message that he believed would capture the votes of Americans across the country.
This isn’t a campaign, this is a movement. Look at what’s happened. The American people are not happy with their government…Politicians have promised for 30 years to fix illegal immigration… Donald Trump will do it. You have known for years these trade agreements have not been working. We’ll soon have a vote on ‘ObamaTrade’ and it will damage America… It should not pass. Donald Trump, when he gets elected President, will see it does not pass. This movement — he doesn’t take money from political groups and lobbyists. He’s committed to leading this country in an effective way… I think at this time in America’s history, we need to ‘Make America Great Again.’
Boy was he right. That message resonated with more people than any major polling agency anticipated. For months, Sessions took to the airwaves and made the case for Trump and his agenda, often in the face of opposition from his own party. Now, that confidence is likely to land him a big-time job in Trump’s Administration.
Sessions has led Trump’s national security policy team on the campaign, and throughout his time in the Senate he has served on the Armed Services committee. One would think that Secretary of State would be a natural fit, but this early, it is tough to tell.
There is a strong case to be made that Jeff Sessions was Donald Trump before Donald Trump. Sessions’ unique brand of populist conservatism has served as the basis of Trump’s platform. For decades, Sessions has advocated for tougher immigration laws, stricter trade polices, and “draining the swamp.” The only fundamental difference between the two men – bank accounts aside – is Session’s southern accent.
Regardless, come January 20, 2017, Sen. Sessions is likely to be doing more business in the White House than on Capitol Hill.
