Trump aide: White House won’t support Moore if allegations are true

A White House official said Thursday that President Trump will not support GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore if a Washington Post investigative report about the Alabama Republican’s sexual interaction with a 14-year-old girl proves true.

“They’re very serious allegations, and if true, then, yes, there’s no path forward,” White House legislative director Marc Short told CNN Thursday, referencing the bombshell report against Moore.

“But I don’t think we should begin going down that pathway until we give Roy Moore the chance to defend himself,” Short added.

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The Washington Post reported Thursday that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl he met outside a courtroom in Alabama in 1979 when he was 32-year-old assistant district attorney in the state. Three other women also claim Moore pursued relationships with them when they were teenagers and he was in his mid-30s.

Moore has denied the allegations, saying they are “completely false and are a desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and the Washington Post on this campaign.”

In the interview, Short called on voters to be “cautious” about the allegations and wait for the truth to come out.

“I think we need to let the facts come out, find out what the truth is and go from there before we jump to conclusions,” he said.

Moore defeated Sen. Luther Strange in a primary runoff in September to become the GOP’s nominee for Alabama senator. Strange was appointed by former Gov. Robert Bentley (R) in February following the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore is set to face off with Democrat Doug Jones in the Dec. 12 special election.