Romney: Moore serving in Senate would be ‘stain on the GOP and on the nation’

Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said Monday a victory for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore would be “a stain on the GOP and on the nation,” hours after President Trump endorsed Moore.

“Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity,” Romney tweeted.

Romney, who is also a former governor of Massachusetts, had previously criticized Moore, calling him unfit for office. 

Romney’s latest comments, however, came hours after President Trump endorsed Moore, despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the candidate.

{mosads}Moore is facing allegations about his conduct decades ago, including an accusation by one woman who said Moore touched her sexually when she was 14 and another who said Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 16. Other women have said Moore made advances on them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

Trump had previously tweeted criticism of Moore’s opponent and downplayed the allegations, but on Monday, the president gave Moore his full backing, calling the candidate from Air Force One.

Moore’s campaign celebrated the call from the president in a statement on Monday, saying that Trump called Moore a “fighter” and told him he’s looking forward to Moore supporting his agenda in Washington.

The Moore campaign said Trump, who called the Alabamian while he was on his way to an event in Utah, told Moore, “Go get ’em Roy,” before hanging up the phone.

Trump spoke in Utah on Monday, where he praised Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and urged the 83-year-old to seek reelection.

There has been speculation Romney will run for Hatch’s seat if the senator doesn’t seek reelection.

A spokesman for Hatch has said the senator has not yet decided what he will do.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who earlier this year announced he would not seek reelection in 2018, applauded Romney’s tweet on Monday night: