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Trump Urges West Virginia Voters To Oppose Republican Don Blankenship

In a tweet Monday, President Donald Trump urged West Virginia voters not to vote for the former coal executive in Tuesday's primary.
Posted at 11:45 AM, May 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-07 11:45:49-04

President Donald Trump is distancing himself from controversial Republican Senate candidate Don Blankenship.

In a tweet Monday, Trump urged West Virginia voters to oppose the former coal executive in Tuesday's primary.

And Trump warned voters to "remember Alabama." He's referring to when Republican Judge Roy Moore won the Alabama Senate primary last year only to eventually lose the seat to Democrat Doug Jones.

Many on the right are concerned if Blankenship wins the primary, he'll almost certainly lose the general election to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

Blankenship later responded to Trump's tweet, saying: "No one, and I mean no one, will tell us how to vote. As some have said, I am Trumpier than Trump and this morning proves it."

Blankenship spent a year behind bars after an explosion at his company's Upper Big Branch mine killed 29 people in 2010.