In a statement that shocked absolutely nobody, Donald Trump offered a hearty endorsement of Senate hopeful Roy Moore yesterday afternoon:

President Trump on Tuesday appeared to offer support to Republican candidate Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race, saying the former state judge “totally denies” allegations that he sexually molested underage girls years ago. “He denies it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “He says it didn’t happen and you have to listen to him, also.”

Except Moore hasn’t denied it — not really. Not only have his colleagues outed him for dating young girls, Moore himself admitted that he only “courted” teen girls with their mothers’ permission. As if that makes it okay.

It’s not surprising that Trump would ignore multiple credible allegations from women who have nothing to gain from going public with their stories… since he, too, has been the subject in many of those stories. Trump himself bragged about assaulting women and barging into the women’s changing area during a beauty pageant.

All of that’s to say his pseudo-endorsement of Moore likely won’t change the way Alabama voters will cast their ballots. I highly doubt Alabamans were undecided about how to vote until Trump told them what to do.

But Trump’s bizarre statements did make one thing clear: Even an accused pedophile will have the support of this president as long as there’s an “R” after his name.

