MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — In a statement Wednesday morning, former President Donald Trump called Congressman Mo Brooks “woke,” saying he didn’t go far enough in supporting unfounded claims the 2020 election was stolen.

“Anybody with a brain the size of a pea or larger in the state of Alabama knows that Mo Brooks may be a lot of things but woke or liberal ain’t them. So I was very much astonished,” Brooks said.

Brooks had made Trump’s endorsement a focal point of his election efforts, using it in TV ads, logos and signs. At a campaign stop in Hueytown he says he was surprised by the news.

“If it’d been me, I’d have called someone to give them a heads up. I think that’s the gentlemanly thing to do,” Brooks said.

The move comes as polling shows Brooks trailing in the race to competitors Katie Britt and Mike Durant.

“Trump is really interested in Trump. He’s really a pretty self-centered person. He probably doesn’t care who Alabama’s Senator is. He just doesn’t want another loss on his record,” CBS42 Political Analyst Steve Flowers said.

Katie Britt has said she’d welcome an endorsement from Trump, saying if elected she’d carry out his agenda.

“People miss the president, they miss the president’s agenda, the America first agenda and people know that I am best to fight for the America first agenda in DC and for the people of Alabama,” Britt said.

We also reached out to Mike Durant’s campaign on what this could mean for him but didn’t hear back.

Trump did say in his statement that he plans to endorse someone else in the race next, but it’s not clear whether that will be before or after the primary.