When the Alabama Republican Senate nominee was accused of sexual misconduct with girls in their teens earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and many other GOP leaders called for Moore to drop his bid. The Republican National Committee, which serves Trump, pulled out of the state. And one of Trump's daughters, Ivanka Trump, said she doesn't doubt the accusers and that "there's a special place in hell for people who prey on children."
None of it worked to push Moore from the race.Many Republicans concluded that it was better for Moore to lose to Democrat Doug Jones than to sully the GOP's brand — and its chances in next year's midterm elections — by taking a seat in the Senate.
Not Trump. He needs a Republican in that seat — now. His agenda, most notably a tax-code rewrite, is hanging by a thread, and nothing will get easier for him if the Senate Republican caucus shrinks from 52 votes to 51 votes.
That helps explain why, after nearly two weeks of silence on the matter, Trump jumped into the fray.
"We don't need a liberal person in there," Trump told reporters Tuesday, referring to Jones. The president also pointed out that Moore "totally denies" the allegations against him and left open the possibility that he might campaign for the Republican in Alabama.
Trump's advisers and allies are taking a similar line with regard to the candidate choice.
"It’s pretty logical for Republicans to say if you’re a Republican in Alabama, even a Republican in Alabama who doesn’t want to vote for Roy Moore, you really ought to not vote for the Democrat," said Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union and a frequent Trump surrogate during the 2016 campaign.
None of it worked to push Moore from the race.Many Republicans concluded that it was better for Moore to lose to Democrat Doug Jones than to sully the GOP's brand — and its chances in next year's midterm elections — by taking a seat in the Senate.
Not Trump. He needs a Republican in that seat — now. His agenda, most notably a tax-code rewrite, is hanging by a thread, and nothing will get easier for him if the Senate Republican caucus shrinks from 52 votes to 51 votes.
That helps explain why, after nearly two weeks of silence on the matter, Trump jumped into the fray.
"We don't need a liberal person in there," Trump told reporters Tuesday, referring to Jones. The president also pointed out that Moore "totally denies" the allegations against him and left open the possibility that he might campaign for the Republican in Alabama.
Trump's advisers and allies are taking a similar line with regard to the candidate choice.
"It’s pretty logical for Republicans to say if you’re a Republican in Alabama, even a Republican in Alabama who doesn’t want to vote for Roy Moore, you really ought to not vote for the Democrat," said Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union and a frequent Trump surrogate during the 2016 campaign.
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