Trenton Garmon, an attorney for Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, suggested that MSNBC host Ali Velshi’s “background” could help him understand why Moore would date underage women.
Roy Moore's Attny. Trenton Garmon suggests Ali Velshi's “background” would help him understand why Moore would date underage women — @AliVelshi is from Canada pic.twitter.com/e061tiz9Nx— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 15, 2017
“Culturally speaking, I would see there’s differences,” Garmon said in an interview Wednesday, responding to a question about why Moore would need permission from girls’ mothers to date them. “I looked up Ali’s background, and wow, that’s awesome that you have got such a diverse background, it’s really cool to read through that.”
Co-host Stephanie Ruhle stopped Garmon to ask, “What does Ali Velshi’s background have to do with dating children, dating 14-year-old girls?”
“In other countries, there’s arrangement through parents for what we would refer to as consensual marriage,” Garmon replied.
“Ali’s from Canada,” Ruhle interjected.
“I understand that — Ali’s also spent time in other countries,” Garmon said. “So it’s not a bad thing.”
“I don’t know where you’re going with this, Trenton,” Velshi responded.
Ali Velshi was born in Kenya and raised in Canada.
Moore is facing pressure to drop out of the Alabama Senate race following allegations of misconduct with teenage girls when he was in his 30s, including the latest Monday from a woman who accused him of sexual assault when she was 16. Moore has denied all allegations, and threatened to sue the Washington Post, which broke the story.
