Privately, Republican insiders worry that Trump’s seal of approval won’t be enough to push Strange past Moore, the former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. A Moore upset could trigger a wave of primary challenges against GOP incumbents in the midterm.

Strange has been tagged as the establishment candidate, in part due to heavy backing he received from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. That’s a problem in a state where going establishment is a mortal political sin.

“Transference is a difficult thing to accomplish in politics,” a Republican strategist said, when asked if Trump’s outsider status is enough to absolve Strange. “The president’s brand is a predatory brand. If he wants to win this race, he has to go to Huntsville and knife Roy Moore and tell people Roy’s act is a scam.”