WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump backed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, avowing his support for the first time since Moore was accused of making advances against teenage girls years ago and molesting at least two.
"He totally denies it. He says it didn't happen," Trump told reporters as he left the White House to spend Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. "I do have to say, 40 years is a long time."
Trump also criticized Moore's Democratic rival, Doug Jones, in the special election Dec. 12 to fill the seat held by Jeff Sessions before he became Trump's attorney general.
"I can tell you one thing for sure. We don't need a liberal person in there, a Democrat, Jones," Trump said. "I've looked at his record. It's terrible on crime. It's terrible on the border. It's terrible on the military."
Trump even left the door open for campaigning on behalf of Moore. "I'll be letting you know next week," he said.
The issue puts the president in a potentially awkward position, given that the "Access Hollywood" recording nearly derailed his campaign and that more than a dozen women have accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior.
"Women are very special," Trump said of the broader issue. "I think it's a very special time. A lot of things are coming out and I think that's good for our society and I think it's very, very good for women."
