(CNN) — Sen. Jeff Sessions on Sunday became the first sitting senator to endorse Donald Trump, declaring his support for the Republican front-runner during a rally at a football stadium here.
The endorsement from the Alabama Republican known for his opposition to illegal immigration will solidify Trump’s attempts to position himself as the Republican presidential candidate with the toughest stance on the issue.
The endorsement comes two days before the crucial Super Tuesday primary when Alabama and a dozen other states, mostly in the South, vote.
“At this time in American history we need to make America great again,” Sessions told the raucous crowd, echoing Trump’s signature line. “I am pleased to endorse Donald Trump for president of the United States.”
Sessions spoke of a “movement afoot that must not fade away. It has the potential to have the American people’s voice heard for a change.”
Trump embraced the endorsement from Sessions.
“We want strong borders,” Trump said. “We want the wall.”
Sessions’ endorsement has been months in the making. Speculation of a potential endorsement has swirled since Sessions appeared with Trump at his massive rally in Mobile, Alabama last summer and donned a “Make America Great Again” cap.
The Alabama senator then advised Trump as he crafted and ultimately published proposals to reform the U.S. immigration system. And last month Sessions’ communications director Stephen Miller joined Trump’s team as a policy adviser.
The Sessions endorsement allowed the Trump campaign to again set its own agenda. It came after Trump’s campaign spent much of Sunday explaining comments on CNN that he didn’t know enough to disavow former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke. Trump later tried to clean up his comments on Twitter amid an outpouring of criticism from his Republican presidential rivals. Sen. Marco Rubio slammed the remarks, saying they make Trump “unelectable.”
Immigration has been at the center of Trump’s presidential platform since the billionaire launched his presidential bid amid controversy, after calling undocumented immigrants coming into the U.S. from Mexico “criminals” and “rapists.”
Trump has since pledged to build a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico and promised to force the Mexican government to pick up the cost.
Sessions’ is the second major endorsement Trump has received in a matter of days. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former rival of Trump’s for the Republican nomination, endorsed Trump on Friday.
Two House members are also backing Trump, GOP Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Chris Collins of New York.
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