GOP senators are further distancing themselves from Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore as allegations that he made sexual and romantic advances on teenage girls escalate.
Multiple women told the Washington Post that Moore pursued romantic relationships with them when he was in his 30s. One of the women said Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 14. A fifth woman on Monday said that Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 16.
“He ought to seriously think about dropping out,” said Alabama senator Richard Shelby, who on Thursday said that Moore does not belong in the Senate “if” the Post story is true. “Drip by drip, cut by cut.”
Asked whether Moore has caused damage to the Republican brand, Shelby said, “if this keeps up, it’ll be irreparable damage.”
Arizona senator Jeff Flake, an early critic of Moore’s, said he would “run to the polling place” to vote for a Democrat before voting for Moore.
“If the choice is between Roy Moore and a Democrat, a Democrat,” he told reporters. “No doubt.”
National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Cory Gardner said Monday that if Moore wins, the Senate should vote to expel him.
“The individuals speaking out against Roy Moore spoke with courage and truth,” Gardner said in a statement. “If he refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate.”
Flake told reporters he would support voting for expulsion, though he added, “I don’t think it’ll get to that.”
Indiana senator Todd Young said in a statement that Moore’s behavior “disqualified him from service in the United States Senate” and that if Moore does not exit the race, “we need to act to protect the integrity of the Senate.”
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham called on Moore to step aside Monday and hearkened back to Gardner’s comments.
“When the head of your own party’s senatorial committee is advocating you be expelled before you get elected, I just don’t think you have a very bright Senate career ahead of you,” Graham told reporters.
Majority whip John Cornyn also pulled his endorsement of Moore on Monday, writing in a statement that “the accusations against Roy Moore are disturbing and, if true, disqualifying.” He would not comment to reporters about a potential expulsion.
Other lawmakers were also hesitant to comment on a hypothetical expulsion. As TWS has written, the Senate Ethics Committee could investigate the allegations against Moore after he is sworn in.
“It’s premature to talk about expulsion of someone who hasn’t even been elected,” said Maine senator Susan Collins. “The last time the Senate expelled a member was during the Civil War.”
Collins said Monday that Moore should “immediately step aside,” and stressed to reporters that she “never endorsed” Moore.
The Post story also triggered discussions about a potential write-in campaign for Alabama senator Luther Strange, through Strange told reporters Monday that that’s “highly unlikely.”
Shelby, asked about a viable write-in candidate, said with a laugh that “a strong one would be Senator Sessions.” (As my colleague Michael Warren reports, Sessions is not considering a write-in campaign or an appointment if Moore were to be expelled.)
Still, even as some GOP senators sharpened their condemnation of Moore, others did not shift from their original statements that the Alabama candidate should exit the race “if” the allegations against him are true.
“If the allegations are true, Judge Moore needs to step aside,” said Louisiana senator John Kennedy. He repeated that phrase twice more in response to heated pushback from reporters.
“If the allegations are true, he needs to step aside,” said Iowa senator Joni Ernst.
“So you don’t believe the women?” one reporter asked.
“I’m not saying that,” she said. “They have a compelling case.”
