Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., walked back a statement made in a televised debate earlier Monday night in which she had called Donald Trump a good role model for children.
“I misspoke tonight. While I would hope all of our children would aspire to be president, neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton have set a good example and I wouldn’t hold up either of them as role models for my kids,” the first-term senator said in a statement released following the event.
During a televised debate against Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan for the incumbent lawmaker’s seat, Ayotte was asked if she would tell kids to “be like Donald Trump.”
“I think that certainly there are many role models that we have and I believe he can serve as president, and so absolutely I would do that,” Ayotte responded at the New England College event.
The moderator pushed back, asking Ayotte why she would support childrens’ idealizing him, but not endorse him for president. The first-term senator said she and Trump were still working through previous disputes.
“I’ve had some disagreements with him and I’ve been quite clear about those disagreements,” she said. “This is an area where Governor Hassan has been lockstep with Secretary Clinton. I haven’t heard major disagreements that she’s had with Secretary Clinton, so who’s going to stand up on behalf of the people of New Hampshire?”
In August, Ayotte told CNN she planned to vote for her party’s nominee, but added she would not campaign on his behalf.
