White House officials urged Mr. Bryant not to rush the appointment, according to Republican officials familiar with the conversations. President Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, had urged Mr. Bryant to appoint himself to the seat, specifically invoking the Alabama debacle. But Mr. Bryant had no appetite to go to Washington and neither did Lt. Gov. “I support Governor Bryant, but I really am puzzled and disappointed that he wouldn’t select Senator McDaniel,” said Mayor Hal Marx of Petal, a Republican. And Mr. McDaniel, who has a history of making incendiary comments, would be more at risk of losing than a less-controversial Republican.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2018 15:45 UTC