Senate Republicans look to Trump to restore order amid Alabama upheaval [View all]

[DonViejo]

By Sean Sullivan, Philip Rucker and David Weigel November 15 at 8:25 PM

Senate Republicans turned to President Trump on Wednesday in hopes he would join their urgent attempt to force GOP nominee Roy Moore out of the Senate race in Alabama following allegations of sexual misconduct — but Trump did not oblige.

Instead, back in Washington after a 12-day Asia trip, Trump was silent on Moore, who has been accused by two women of initiating unwanted sexual encounters when Moore was in his 30s and they were 14 and 16. Moore has denied the allegations.

His daughter Ivanka Trump, however, voiced confidence in Moore’s accusers and said there is “a special place in hell for people who prey on children” in comments to the Associated Press. She did not call for Moore to step aside.

In Alabama, Moore showed no signs he was preparing to bow out. His campaign sought to discredit one of his previous accusers at a hastily announced afternoon news conference where officials took no questions.

On Twitter, Moore sought to align himself with the president, charging that the same forces that tried to defeat Trump as a presidential candidate in 2016 are now trying to beat Moore with “lies and smears.”

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-republicans-look-to-trump-to-restore-order-amid-alabama-upheaval/2017/11/15/5cceaa4e-ca28-11e7-aa96-54417592cf72_story.html