President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that Alabama shouldn’t elect a Democrat over embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.
“I can tell you one thing for sure. We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat, [Doug] Jones. I’ve looked at his record, it’s terrible on crime, it’s terrible on the border, it’s terrible on the military,” Trump said.
The president also brushed aside allegations against Moore of sexual misconduct with minors.
“He totally denies it. He says it didn’t happen,” Trump remarked before boarding Marine One at the White House. The president is on his way to spend several days at his Florida home Mar-a-Lago.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and National Republican Campaign Committee chairman Cory Gardner have both asked Moore to drop out of the Alabama race after several women accused the Senate candidate of having sexual encounters with them when they were minors.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders has said repeatedly that Trump wants Alabama voters to decide who their next senator should be. The president left open the possibility Tuesday that he would visit the Yellowhammer State to campaign for Moore.
The Republican is behind Jones in recent public polling ahead of the Dec. 12 special election.