Washington: The White House on Thursday said it was troubled by allegations that Republican senate hopeful Roy Moore molested teenagers, but stopped short of calling for him to him to drop out of the race.
After Trump refused to answer questions on his views, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said “the president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously.”
The comments came as several women stepped forward to accuse Moore of decades-old impropriety, including a woman who said he initiated a sexual encounter when she was 14.
But with control of the Senate up for grabs in a series of state elections, Sanders refused to say Moore should drop out of the race to become the next senator for Alabama.
Moore, now 70, has denied any wrongdoing and said he will contest the December 12 poll.
Privately Republicans admit the race may now be lost, with the Republican vote split between Moore’s die-hard supporters and so called “write-in” candidates who are not on the ballot.
Republicans control 54 of 100 seats in the Senate, but if Democrats win in Alabama, victories in tight races in Arizona and Nevada and an upset elsewhere would put them in charge.
