Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Sunday he would have preferred for President Trump to use his influence to urge Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore to step aside rather than aligning himself with the embattled former judge, warning that a likely ethics investigation could derail the GOP’s legislative agenda.
“I would like to see the president, Chris, come out and support what many of us have said, and that is, ‘Roy Moore needs to step aside, allow somebody else to be a write-in candidate. We can win that seat,’” Thune told Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”
Thune added Moore’s election to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ old Senate seat would “immediately” trigger a Senate Ethics Committee investigation, which would not be in the best interest of his state, his party, or the country.
“[It’s] going to be a cloud that he’ll be operating in, and it’s going to be a distraction for us and our agenda,” Thune continued, before saying it was “ultimately” a decision for the people of Alabama.
Earlier Sunday, Trump took to Twitter to reiterate his support for Moore, who stands accused of sexual misconduct by several women who allege he was inappropriate toward them when they were in their teens and he was in his 30s.
Moore has strenuously denied all claims made against him.
The special election between Moore and Democratic challenger Doug Jones will take place on Dec. 12.
