Story highlights "I believe he can serve as president," Ayotte says about Trump

"I've had some disagreements with him," she adds

Washington (CNN) New Hampshire GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte said during a debate on Monday that she would "absolutely" point to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as a role model for a child. She issued a statement after the debate saying she "misspoke."

The first-term senator was asked by a moderator during the NECN debate : "Would you tell them to be like Donald Trump? Would you point to him as a role model?"

"I think that certainly there are many role models that we have, and I believe he can serve as president and so, absolutely. I would do that," she said at the New England College hosted debate in Henniker, New Hampshire

In a statement afterward, Ayotte said: "I misspoke tonight. While I would hope all of our children would aspire to be president, neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton have set a good example and I wouldn't hold either of them as role models for my kids."

Ayotte is currently locked in a hotly contested Senate reelection race against Democratic rival, Gov. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte has said she is voting for Trump, but not endorsed him for president.

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