Story highlights The defiant candidate refuses to admit defeat

Trump and Bannon both endorsed him, but now say he should concede

(CNN) Both President Donald Trump and his former chief political strategist Steve Bannon are urging Roy Moore to concede, as the defiant Republican Senate candidate refuses to admit defeat to Democrat Doug Jones.

Moore lost Alabama's Tuesday special Senate election by more than 20,000 votes.

"I think he should," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday morning. "He tried. I want to support, always, I want to support the person running. We need the seat. We would like to have the seat."

Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, was one of Moore's longest and most fervent supporters. He visited the state three times to campaign on his behalf, including a rally the night before the election. He told the campaign that Moore needs to concede, a source familiar with the conversation tells CNN.

But Moore, who only addressed his supporters briefly on election night, said Wednesday that late-counted ballots could change the results of the election and urged his supporters to "stand against those who would take from us our country."

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