Trump's battered Alabama pick Barry Moore survives vicious 'stolen valor' scandal involving his WIFE to clinch Senate nomination

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 02:52, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 02:52, 17 June 2026 Alabama Congressman Barry Moore has emerged from a bruising primary runoff as the GOP nominee for US Senate. Moore, a third-term Congressman endorsed by President Trump, defeated Jared Hudson, a Navy Seal, NBC News projected Tuesday night.  He is now heavily favored to succeed Senator Tommy Tuberville, who opted to run for governor and clinched the GOP nomination for that office on Tuesday. Moore faced damning 'stolen valor' allegations as Alabama's GOP Senate runoff turned ugly in its final weeks. His wife Heather claimed he served eight years in the military. His campaign told the Daily Mail he served 'more than six years.'  But documents released by the campaign tell a different story: Moore served just over two and a half years in the National Guard before receiving an honorable discharge in July 1991. The discrepancy partly stems from his time in the Individual Ready Reserve, a largely inactive status for former service members still under contract, who do not drill and receive no pay. Republican candidate Barry Moore greets supporters as he's heavily favored to be the next senator from Alabama  Your browser does not support iframes. This combination of photos shows Republican candidates for US Senate Jared Hudson, left, and Barry Moore, right US President Donald Trump clenches his fist as he makes his way to board Air Force One before departing Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on June 15, 2026 Barry Moore's wife, Heather Moore, said last week that her husband served eight years in the military. His campaign told the Daily Mail that he served six years Moore completed ten weeks of basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in 1989 - but released records show he never completed training for a specific military occupational specialty (MOS). Moore's campaign told the Daily Mail he 'served in the Alabama National Guard and Army Reserve for more than six years and was honorably discharged,' adding he has 'never claimed combat service and has been open about his military background.' But sources familiar with military rank and promotion structure told the Daily Mail that without a Military Occupational Specialty, Moore was never deployable. Multiple former staffers from his Congressional office say Moore's service record had been a point of contention for years. On whether Moore qualifies as a veteran, his campaign was unequivocal: 'Yes. The VA issued him a Veteran Identification Card... The discrepancy lies with third-party misrepresentations.' Moore rode strong support in southern Alabama and captured the battleground Huntsville area in his march to victory Tuesday night Moore's campaign said he served 'honorably' in the Alabama Army National Guard and US Army Reserve from 1988 to 1997 A Moore loss would also have handed the White House another stinging (Moore and his wife pictured with Trump in the Oval Office) Moore was able to fend off accusations of being a 'DC insider' from his opponent Jared Hudson In ruby-red Alabama, Tuesday's winner is heavily favored to be the state's next US senator.  Alabama is one of the most reliably Republican states in the nation.  Trump carried it by 30 points in the 2024 presidential election, Republicans' largest margin in the state since 1972.  Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rate the general election as Solid or Safe Republican. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.