Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s daughter and assistant, said Wednesday there’s a “special place in hell” for people who try to harm children, a possible signal that the White House is no longer behind Judge Roy Moore’s Senate bid.
“There’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” Trump told the Associated Press when asked about the accusations against Moore. “I’ve yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims’ accounts.”
Trump did not say Moore should withdraw from the race, but her remark is the strongest signal yet that the White House is abandoning Moore after allegations that he pursued sexual relationships with teenage girls while he was in his 30s. President Trump himself has not said Moore needs to drop out of the race, but many Republicans senators were looking for Trump to comment on the situation Wednesday.
Last week, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said a mere allegation shouldn’t “destroy a man’s life.” But she also said Trump “believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside.”
President Trump was asked Wednesday whether Moore should exit the Senate race after the president delivered a speech about his recent 13-day trip to Asia, but he ignored the question.
Two women have said Moore pursued sexual relations with them — one was 14 at the time, and the other, 16, said she feared Moore was going to rape her. Three others have said Moore tried to date them while they were teenagers. In all cases, Moore was in his 30s.
Moore has denied the allegations.
