President Donald Trump threw his support behind Sen. Luther Strange in Alabama's Republican Senate primary.
Strange, also backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, lost the election to former Judge Roy Moore on Tuesday night. The president then deleted some of his tweets supporting Strange.
"Luther Strange has been shooting up in the Alabama polls since my endorsement. Finish the job — vote today for 'Big Luther,'" Trump wrote Tuesday in one of the messages, archived by nonprofit news site ProPublica.
Two other deleted tweets urged Alabama to "get out and vote for Luther Strange" and said he will "never let you down."
After Moore won, Trump congratulated him in a tweet. He said Strange "started way back" and "ran a good race."
Strange was appointed to the Senate earlier this year to fill the vacancy created by former Sen. Jeff Sessions joining the Trump administration as attorney general. He was considered a reliable vote on most Republican policies. A McConnell-aligned super PAC funneled millions into the state to support Strange.
Moore, who cast himself as an anti-establishment candidate in Trump's mold, has drawn harsh criticism for his comments about gay Americans and Muslims. He previously served as an Alabama Supreme Court justice.
He was suspended, and later resigned, after he directed judges to enforce a state ban on same-sex marriage despite a Supreme Court ruling.
On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted that he spoke to Moore on Tuesday night. The president said he "sounds like a really great guy who ran a fantastic race."