Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore said Friday that he is refusing to debate his Democratic opponent Doug Jones because of Jones's stance on transgender rights.

In an interview with Sean Hannity on iHeartRadio, Moore said that Jones's "very liberal" stance on transgender issues was behind the decision to skip a debate.

"We’ve refused to debate them because of their very liberal stance on transgenderism and transgenderism in the military and in bathrooms. They are desperate," Moore told Hannity.

ADVERTISEMENT

Moore's comments on the show come two days after he stated transgender individuals "don't have rights."

"The transgenders don't have rights," Moore said Wednesday during a press conference. "They’ve never been denominated as having rights by the U.S. Supreme Court."

Moore also attacked Jones Wednesday for supporting allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military.

"He believes in transgender bathrooms and transgenders in the military. I disagree with him 100 percent," Moore added.

Moore's interview with Hannity comes as the GOP candidate faces accusations of sexual misconduct with a minor decades ago.

A woman told The Washington Post that Moore initiated unwanted sexual contact with her decades ago, when she was 14. Moore was in his 30s at the time.

Moore on Friday again denied the allegations, calling them an effort by Jones's campaign and the Post to derail his campaign. He has vowed to stay in the race despite calls from many Republicans for him to stand down if the allegations are true.

"I had nothing to do with this, this is a completely manufactured story meant to defrock this campaign," Moore told Hannity. "They are losing, they are 11 points behind, they don’t like my acknowledgement that there is a God."

"These allegations are completely false and misleading," he added.

"But more than that, it hurts me personally because you know, I'm a father. I have one daughter, I have five granddaughters, and I have a special concern for the protection of young ladies."