Ivanka criticism of Roy Moore backfired: report

The piling on of criticism by GOP political figures and even Ivanka Trump on Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore played a role in President Trump’s decision to back him, according to a report in Politico. 

In a story headlined “How Trump came around to an accused child molester,” Politico cites a number of factors in why Trump is supporting Moore despite allegations of sexual misconduct, including touching a 14-year-old girl sexually when Moore was 32.

The story says Trump cast doubt on the assertions by that woman and others that they had been courted by Moore as teenagers during a phone call with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Citing three sources, Politico reported the call left McConnell “aghast.”

Having faced accusations of sexual misconduct in his own presidential campaign, sources told Politico that Trump didn’t want to drop Moore and didn’t like that establishment figures in the GOP were turning against the Alabamian.

In fact, a perceived pile-on against Moore, if anything, moved Trump toward the former judge. That included an unusually strong statement from Ivanka Trump, who told The Associated Press that “there is a special place in hell for people who prey on children.”

The White House legislative affairs director, Marc Short, had used the same phrase.

President Trump originally supported Moore’s opponent, appointed Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), in the GOP primary run-off.

His support for Moore has grown stronger in recent days, though some of Trump’s actions appear designed to allow him to take credit for a Moore win, while allowing him to distance himself if Moore loses.

For example, Trump held a rally on Friday in Pensacola, Fla., just miles from the Alabama border. But he did not actually travel to Alabama to campaign for Moore.

Trump also recorded a robocall for Moore’s campaign, repeating his assertion that electing Moore was necessary to push the GOP agenda and that “liberal Democrat Doug Jones” would consistently vote against the GOP.