GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore is knocking the media's coverage of him, saying he doesn't "hate people" and doesn't support a religious test for public officials.

"There should be no religious test, no. That's against the Constitution," Moore told reporters as he walked through the Senate basement on Tuesday.

Moore, who is a former judge, has made a slew of controversial statements, including suggesting in 2006 that Keith Ellison Keith Maurice EllisonOfficers in George Floyd's death appear in court, motion for separate trials Ex-Minneapolis officer involved in Floyd death asks judge to dismiss murder charge Over 50 current, former law enforcement professionals sign letter urging Congress to decriminalize marijuana MORE, the first Muslim elected to the House, shouldn't be allowed to serve because of his religious beliefs.

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"Well I'm a lot different than what The Washington Post has been printing," he told a Post reporter. "I don't hate people."

He noted that the Post endorsed his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones.

Moore, who is running for the Alabama Senate seat after defeating Sen. Luther Strange Luther Johnson StrangeSessions hits back at Trump days ahead of Alabama Senate runoff The biggest political upsets of the decade State 'certificate of need' laws need to go MORE (Ala.) in the GOP primary, is attending the closed-door Senate GOP caucus lunch.

It will mark the first time Moore has met with the entire Senate GOP caucus.

He appeared surprised to be surrounded by reporters as he walked through the basement, at one point asking a staff member if everyone following him was a reporter.