U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during his visit at the Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. December 9, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Democrat Doug Jones on Tuesday for winning a bitter U.S. Senate race in Alabama against the Republican candidate the president backed.

In a tweet, Trump congratulated Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney, who beat Republican Roy Moore, a former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, who was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct against teenagers. “The Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!” Trump tweeted.