Hatch defends Trump for endorsing Moore: ‘I don’t think he had any choice’

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is defending President Trump’s decision to endorse Roy Moore amid allegations of sexual misconduct, saying he had to support “the only Republican” candidate running for the Alabama Senate seat.

“I don’t think he had any choice but to do that,” Hatch told the White House press pool on Tuesday. “That’s the only Republican we can get down there.”

The Utah senator also appeared to downplay the sexual misconduct accusations, one of which came from a woman who said she was 14 at the time, pointing out that the alleged offenses took place a long time ago.

“Many of the things he allegedly did were decades ago,” he added.

Trump early Monday endorsed Moore, saying his vote is needed in the narrowly GOP-controlled Senate, despite multiple women saying he made unwanted sexual advances when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2017

“The President had a positive call with Judge Roy Moore during which they discussed the state of the Alabama Senate race and the President endorsed Judge Moore’s campaign,” said White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah.

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Moore is going to face off with Democratic candidate Doug Jones on Dec. 12 for the seat Jeff Sessions vacated when Trump tapped him to become attorney general. The seat is currently held by Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.).

Trump also told pool reporters on Monday while traveling in Utah that he was urging to Hatch to run for an eighth term in 2018.

Trump’s remarks come after reports surfaced that the president wants Hatch to run again in order to prevent Mitt Romney from tossing his name into the Senate race.

Hours after Trump backed Moore — telling him “Go get ’em Roy” in a phone call from Air Force One — Romney slammed the idea of the former state Supreme Court chief justice becoming a senator.

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.

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017